What is Flexible Working?

Question:

Write an essay on Work-Life Balance.
 

The flexible working has been described as the manner of working arrangement which provides some significant degree of flexibility on where, how long and when shall the employees perform their tasks. The statutory right to order the flexible working might have assisted to make flexible working a much simpler and familiar phrase all within the workplaces, the flexible working kinds of the arrangements have always been a prompt option in so many of the employment sectors in longer tenures, which helps the employers come across the changing requirements of their clients and also the requirements of their staff:

• Clients always expect to get the goods and the services available apart and outside of the usual and traditional 9-5 hours of working (Meenakshi, 2013)
• Workers desire to achieve a much-balanced ratio between the work and the home life.
• Companies desire to achieve the needs and requirements of their clients as well of the workers in a manner that shall enable them to become more and more productive.

The flexible arrangements of working are always already used in so many Employment sectors, like the following:

• The part-time duty/work, which is often used in restaurants, hotels, warehouses, shops, etc.
• Flextime, which is mostly brought into use at the based environments for all kinds of the staff below the level of the manager in the public as well as the private sector organisations
• The annualised hours, these are at most of the times brought into use for the manufacturing and the agriculture where there might be a possibility to be big variations in the demand all throughout the year time (Chandra, 2012).

With the enhancement and the developments of the sectors of technology, which implies mainly to the availability of the communication tools like the fast domestic smartphones or the broad bands, so many of the roles can be compatible with to the forms of the flexible working management and the arrangements.

In the earlier times, there existed a war between all kinds of the various organizations refers the talent recruitment. Each and Every company is eager to retain and also acquire, the better the best talent for working in their organizations. But nowadays, the companies are focusing mainly so as to reduce the part time work week and all such a kinds of work arrangements which shall enhance the flexibility and the support at the workplace with the retention of the working staff or the employees (Hetty van Emmerik & Sanders, 2005). That is the reason why; many of the employees are performing the reduction and that too inevitably in the labourers which shall provide new opportunity so as to find out the measures for the redesigning of the roles and also the brand new measures to the doing of the jobs and on the other hand also support the workers to get and maintain a balanced life in their personal lives as well with more flexible manner.

Bourke has never been much comfortable refer the heading for the reshaping of the flexibility argument. Instead of this, the flexibility at the workplace enhances the productivity and on the other hand also diminishes the cost of the production of the goods for any of the organisation (Chan et al., 2015). Bourke has always been concerned with the statement of the flexibility as she had always thought that it has been always shifted from the real one and has not been for the betterment. As per her thinking, the concept of the flexibility now regards the more goods production by employing lesser employees who  are not a real argument to the original concept. She has always been worried about the reverse or the negative effects of the thought and the thinking.

In case the concept which concerns the workplace is taken into use in a manner which is nasty, the employee can get to know about the adverse impacts of the working place flexibility refer the organisational economy (Haar, 2013). The organization can lessen the working hours of the workplace of the workers in case they are not required and cannot put the load of the work upon the shoulders of the worker for whom the workers have to pursue working longer hour in the company which shall reduce the output and the performance plus the loyalty of the workers. Thus, the flexibility concept has the adverse impacts on the company, in spite of having any kind of positive and appreciable impacts. Refer the business environment; when the demand of any of the product or the service is reduced in an organisation, at this point there should be a reduction in the hours of working of the workers by the concept of flexibility and it also leads to the balance of the work-life of the workers (Hayman, 2009). The flexibility and the assistance program of the employee are considered as the main element of the strategy of the flexibility and it shall support so as to develop a diverse, adaptive and high result oriented and performing workforce which has the tendency and ability to even achieve the requirements of the business. So many of the options and the voluntary flexible work may be provided to eradicate the redundancies, plus the wages or salaries may be paid according to it.

Flexible Working in Various Employment Sectors

In some of the companies, where there exists very firm cultures that relate to the work-life and its balance do have or even do not redundancies are very inevitable. The working executives have here at visualized the advantages of the concept of the strategy of the work-life balance which are the managers and the leaders of the company sort out the appropriate and the alternative ways to reduce the cost and also lessen the redundancies (Mishra & Smyth, 2013). The leaders and the managers very well know that appropriate staff is required for working so that they may get the required results and move their organisation towards the successful way in both shorters as well as longer tenures. The flexibility has always been the most effective as well as the most efficient way or tool for the achievement of the concept of the work-life balance, and this is totally irrespective of the fact, whether or not the employees working in that organisation are part-time workers or full-time permanent workers (Omar, 2013). For instance, the teleconferencing has been the latest strategy which is taken into use to reduce the travelling, costs which were at earlier times being spent in huge amount.

Thus, we can very clearly say that the concept of the flexibility has moved away quite significantly from the real paradigm which is required and inevitable. The concept of flexibility has got both positive as well as the negative outcomes and impacts. Thus, proper management is of prompt importance which may help for the effective and much more efficient working of the concept of flexibility refer the work-life balance. 

In the firms or the companies, the workers have to perform working for the various hours so as to complete their responsibilities and works. The excessive hours of working may be transmitted into the below-described categories as per the requirement; extended hours of each day, overtime, overtime hours and the extended time for the commuting (Moore, 2011).

There exists an adverse impact refer the excessive working hours which is evident and directly impacted on the outcome and the performance of the workers and is also for the association of the workers with them like their families, employee, and the community. Some of the significant researchers have stated that there are various risk indications which are directly connected to the excessive working hours as these are very much affected or influenced by so many of the reasons that are within the control of the employees (Parkes & Langford, 2008). The most important negative outcome of the excessive hours of working is the sleeplessness and very less time, which they get so as to take care of the families and fulfil the personal responsibilities.

So, in case if any of the workers have to pursue his duty for long hours, in such a condition,  his performance, as well as the health condition, are both affected which makes that concerned employee feel demotivated in case he does not get appropriate incentive of the hard which has been put by him. Refer the needs, their sayings, and the suggestions are required to be given a good vintage, as this shall again boost them up to work even harder and bring about the sense of belongingness in the minds of the employees (Pruneda, 2015).

The Role of Technology in the Adoption of Flexible Working

The seniors of the organisation, are required to carry on a motivational training session for the employees, who shall keep them refreshing all the times, and boost them to perform and bring out even brighter results for the organisation. Proper time management and other beneficial techniques are required to be taught to them so that they get to know about the latest happening and technological inventions which shall make they’re working easy and interesting. Important activities should be separated from the worthless and ordinary activities.

The leaders and the supervisors of the organisation have to perform such activities which encourage the employees for the increased working hours. Employees must be encouraged for the submission of the work on time. The training and the techniques related to the time management are to be discussed with the employees (Sánchez-Vidal, Cegarra-Leiva, & Cegarra-Navarro, 2012). The important activities are to be removed from the ordinary and the worthless activities. The effective communication within the organisation is to be encouraged.

The leaders and the supervisors are to develop such vision and objectives in the cost of the employees and also the power is to be provided to the employees for achieving the objectives and goals of the organisation. For the employee motivated, the leaders of the organisation must express the satisfaction at the time of achieving the desired goals to be rewarded in the form of the incentives at the time of the achievement of the desired goals and objectives of the organisation (Welbourne, 2014). The effective management tool is also to be applied by the managers of the organisation for the effective management of the task.

Hence, the organisation with the excessive working hours can motivate its employees with the promotion, extra wages, and incentives this increase the loyalty and the engagement of the employees towards their organisations. 

At the time of the economic downturn, the companies cannot manage to pay for the monetary payment to the employees of the companies for their performances. The present scenario of the economic conditions, there is a hard pressure on the organisations for the increased productivity and has to face the challenges of the recession in a better way; this is only possible if the employees of the organisation are more involved with the wok and their workplace.

In the present scenario of the economic slowdown, any company which avoids any of the issues related to the work- life balance of the employee will result in the lower productivity of the company, which in turn will found it hard to overcome the challenges of the recession. The companies neglecting or avoiding the work-life balance due to the pressure of the recessionary are required to realise the significance of the employee engagement and the productivity in the long term (Whittle, 2008). It is also required to promote the initiatives of the work-life balance.  

If the pressure of the recessionary is attached with the lesser employee engagement and the productivity will generate the new challenges for the survival of the long- term and the medium organisation survival. During the economic downturn, the workforce management is quite necessary with the traditional and the other benefits which are to be given to the employees such as the retirement plans and the insurances (Giannikis & Nikandrou, 2013). At the time of the normal situation of the organisation, the employees will be helped for the comeback in the organisation and also will help in the survival in the world of competition.
During the economic recession, the policies of the workers are to be cancelled or postponed which also causes the impatience among the employees. Excess of the worries and the workload in the workforce leads to the health problems and stress among the employees of the organisation. For the better performance of the workforce in an organisation, the company must clear the employees of the organisation are the part of the organisation and have to struggle with the downturn and to come together effectively with the collaboration (Daverth, Hyde, & Cassell, 2015).

Employee Retention and Work-Life Balance

This will lead to proper harmony and the team proper that is required at the time of the economic downturn. The development of the mutual objectives will lead to the greater attachment of the employees and employers and employees work for the better performance as they think that they are committed. The employees should be empowered for the achievement of the goals. Even in the situation of the economic downturn, the employer should express satisfaction, when the objectives are achieved and the employees are also rewarded with incentives for the motivation. Employers should not be partial for any types of the employees and should be vigilant and responsible. The employers should avoid biases in task assignment to the employees otherwise, it creates insecurity in the employees. At the time of the economic downturn, if an employer follows the above-mentioned concepts to facilitate the work-life balance, then the organization will surely succeed in the overcoming this downturn.  

Conclusion:

In the situation, when the employees have to work for the excessive hours, the managers and leaders of the company should guide the employees properly to keep them motivated and perform better for the organization. This flexibility work life balance also helps in the management of the performance of the employees at the time of the economic downturn, if the employer properly follows the concepts of the performance management. In addition to the positive impacts of the flexibility in the working hour management, there are also the negative impacts (Whittle, 2008). To overcome, these negative impacts the company should properly manage this concept and apply in the organization.

Hence, it can be concluded that the companies need the workforce with the improved or the better work life balance. Hence, an employee, experiencing the better work-life balance will contribute in a large way for the success and the growth of the organisation. 

References

Chan, X., Kalliath, T., Brough, P., Siu, O., O’Driscoll, M., & Timms, C. (2015). Work–family enrichment and satisfaction: the mediating role of self-efficacy and work–life balance. The International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 27(15), 1755-1776.

Chandra, V. (2012). Work–life balance: eastern and western perspectives. The International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 23(5), 1040-1056.

Daverth, G., Hyde, P., & Cassell, C. (2015). Uptake of organisational work–life balance opportunities: the context of support. The International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 27(15), 1710-1729.

Fleetwood, S. (2007). Why work–life balance now?. The International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 18(3), 387-400.

Giannikis, S. & Nikandrou, I. (2013). The impact of corporate entrepreneurship and high-performance work systems on employees’ job attitudes: empirical evidence from Greece during the economic downturn. The International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 24(19), 3644-3666.

Haar, J. (2013). Testing a new measure of work–life balance: a study of parent and non-parent employees from New Zealand. The International Journal Of Human Resource Management,24(17), 3305-3324.

Hayman, J. (2009). Flexible work arrangements: exploring the linkages between perceived usability of flexible work schedules and work/life balance. Community, Work & Family, 12(3), 327-338.

Hetty van Emmerik, I. & Sanders, K. (2005). Mismatch in working hours and affective commitment.Journal Of Managerial Psychology, 20(8), 712-726.