Use of flexibility has been changed from the original paradigm

Discuss about the Work Life Balance and Flexibility for Employment & Society.

Work life balance and flexible working are the two important concepts of the organization and the both have the positive and negative impact on the organization. The organization tries to use a strategy that will reduce their cost and increase the performance of the organization. So, the companies do regular check-in the ways that will reduce the payroll of the company that is the major cost of any company or organization. Many of the organization prepare a strategy that will support to reduce redundancies within the organization (Alleyne, 2016). It increases the interest of the organization towards the workforce flexibility and how it helps the employer to cut the cost and the employees to have sufficient time for the personal activities.

In the past time, there was a war between the different organizations for the talent recruitment. Every organization is eager to acquire the best talent in their organization. But now a time, the organization is focusing on the reduction of the work week, part time and such a work arrangements that will increase the workplace flexibility and support in the retention of the staff. That is why; some of the employers are now performing the inevitable reduction in the workers that will provide the new opportunity to find out the redesign the roles and the new ways of the doing jobs and also support the employees to maintain a balance in the workplace with more work flexibility (Bonney, 2005). Bourke is not comfortable with the heading of the ‘reshaped’ flexibility argument. Instead, the workplace flexibility increases the productivity and reduces the cost of the overheads in the organization. Bourke is the concerned with the flexibility statement as she thinks that it is shifted from the original one and not for the better. According to her, the flexibility concept is now concerned with the more production from the fewer workers that is not an argument with the original concept. She is worried about the negative impacts of the thinking. This thinking was presented by the Bourke at the launch of a website that is concerned with the flexibility concept within the workplace; www.workplace flexibility.com.au.

If the concept of the workplace is used in a nasty way, an employee can visualize the negative impact of the workplace flexibility on the economy of the organization. An organization can reduce the workplace, working hours of the employees if they are not needed and could not put the workload on the employee for whom the employees have to work longer hour in the organization that will decrease the performance and the loyalty of the employees. So, the concept of the flexibility has the negative impact on the organization, instead of positive impact. In the business environment, at any situation within an organization when the demand for the product or service is decreased, then there should be a decrease in the working hours of the employees through the flexibility concept and lead to the work-life balance of the employees (Whittle, 2008). The employee’s flexibility and assistance program is the key element of the flexibility strategy and this will support to develop an adaptive, diverse and high-performing workforce that has the ability to achieve the demands of the business. A number of options and voluntary flexible work can be provided to eliminate the redundancies and also the salaries or wages can be paid accordingly. In few organizations, where the strong cultures of the work-life balance have or not redundancies are inevitable. However, the executives have visualized the benefits of the work-life balance strategy that are the leaders and managers of the organization sort out the alternative ways for the reduction of the cost and reduce redundancies (Whittle, 2008). The managers and leaders know that they require staff the is totally engaged and committed if they want that their organization will be profitable. Flexibility is the most efficient and effective tool for the work life balance, whether the employees are full time or part time employee. For example, Teleconferencing is a new way that reduces the traveling costs, but this requires that the employee should on call more often at the different zones of the time (Welbourne, 2014).

Implication of excessive working hours on the performance of the employee

So, we can say that the flexibility is moved away from the original paradigm that is necessary and inevitable. The flexibility concept has both the negative and positive impacts. So, the proper management is required for the efficient and effective working of the flexibility concept in the work life balance.

In the organizations, the employees have to work for the different hours in order to complete their work and responsibilities. Excessive working hours can be divided into following categories according to the requirement; overtime, extended hours per day, extended commute time, overtime hours.

There is the negative impact of the excessive working hours on the performance of the employee and also for the employees associated with them such as their employee, families, and community. Researchers suggest that there are many risk indications with the excessive working hours as they are influenced by the number of the factors that are employee’s control and performance, job, non-work responsibilities and abnormalities in the social life. The main negative impact of the excessive working hours is sleeplessness, less time for the personal responsibilities and family. These negative impacts have the negative aspects on the human body that are fatigue, uneasiness, turbulence and negative attitude that leads to the poor performance. This lower performance impacts the employer through high production cost and lower quality goods or the services by the employees. The community is also affected by these types of the employees as they retarded approach to life, the environment and people around them through unintentional medical errors, industrial mishaps, and automobile accidents (Silbermann, 2015). These excessive working hours causes stress and neck stretch to the employees on the long hours sitting, especially the employees that work for the 24-hour shift at a time. This results in overall the downturn to the business and the performance of the employee.

So, if the employees have to work for the longer hour, then his performance and health both are ill affected and also the employee get demotivated if he or she does not get the proper incentives for the same. At this type of the situation, the employee should be accessed and his responsibility and importance towards the organization should be addressed by the high authority of the organization (Roberts, 2008). As per the requirement, their suggestions should be considered and should be regulated if necessary; otherwise, they will lose their tendency and not perform well.

Activities to encourage excessive hour working

Managers and leaders of the organization should perform the following activities to encourage their employees for the excessive hour working.

From the beginning, the managers and leaders should encourage the workers for the on time completion of the work

Time management techniques and training should be given the employees

Important activities should be separated from the worthless and ordinary activities

Encouragement of the effective communication within the organization

Managers and leaders should develop the objectives and vision in the consequences of the employees and also the employees should be provided with the power to achieve that goals and objectives (Richman et al., 2008).

For the motivation of the employees, the managers and leaders should express their satisfaction when the desired goal is achieved and the reward in the form of incentives should be given to the employee for the achievement

Managers or the leaders should apply the management tool for the effective management of the task.

A manager and leader should be an effective decision maker, vigilant and responsible for the effective operation (Pain, 2014).

So, in an organization, where is the situation of the excessive working hours by the employees, there should be the motivation of the employees through incentives, extra wages and promotion, etc. this will increase the engagement and loyalty of the employee towards the work of the organization.

During the economic downturn, the organization cannot afford the monetary compensation to the employees for their performance as they provide earlier. After the layoff, the management of the remaining workforce is very necessary, in addition to the traditional benefits, other benefits should also be given to the employees such as insurance and retirement plans (Hayman, 2009). When the situation of the company becomes normal, and then these employees will help to come back the employees of the company and survive in the competitive world. The Pressure of the competitive work environment leads the employers and the governments conflicting priorities that create the considerable stress on the employees. Due to the economic downturn, the policies of the employers are postponement or canceled, that also cause the restlessness in the employees. Excessive workload and worries about the work lead to the stress and health problems with the employees. For the effective performance of the employees, the employer should clear that the employees are the soul partner of the organization and fight with the downturn; they have to come together and be the least effective with the collaboration (Omar, 2013)

The employees should aware of the positive impacts of the flexible working hours. The employees should be aware that at the time of the downturn, the organization needs their collaboration, but they have minimum resources (Duncan and Pettigrew, 2012). During the economic downturn, there should be proper allocation of the resources whether it will be capital, time, space or human. Employers should encourage the employees through the managers or leaders to the on time completion of the work. The wastage of time and resources should be less at the time of economic downturn. In the organization, every work should be subdivided into the subparts and every employee should know that which part of the work is very much important and which is least important (Gangwisch, 2014). This will lead to the more intention on the important part and maximum resources utilization in the important part. In the organization, there should be a culture of open and effective communication at all levels.

Conclusion

In the last, it is concluded that in the recent business environment the working hours and times are rapidly changing and require the flexibility for the cost management of the organization and better performance of the employees (Gangwisch, 2014). Employers and employees should work in collaboration with each other to achieve the goals of the organization and at the same time, their personal life should not be affected by the workload, so the balancing of the work life is important. For this work life balance, flexibility in the working hours is necessary.

References

Alleyne, T. (2016). Work Life Balance – What Balance?. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 3.

Bonney, N. (2005). Overworked Britons?: part-time work and work-life balance. Work, Employment & Society, 19(2), pp.391-401.

Duncan, K. and Pettigrew, R. (2012). The effect of work arrangements on perception of work-family balance. Community, Work & Family, 15(4), pp.403-423.

Gangwisch, J. (2014). Work-life Balance. SLEEP.

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), pp.327-338.

Omar, M. (2013). Non Standard Work Arrangements and Affective Commitment: The Mediating Role of Work-life Balance. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 107, pp.4-12.

Pain, E. (2014). Improving Your Work-Life Balance. Science.

Richman, A., Civian, J., Shannon, L., Jeffrey Hill, E. and Brennan, R. (2008). The relationship of perceived flexibility, supportive work–life policies, and use of formal flexible arrangements and occasional flexibility to employee engagement and expected retention. Community, Work & Family, 11(2), pp.183-197.

Roberts, E. (2008). Time and Work-Life Balance: The Roles of ‘Temporal Customization’ and ‘Life Temporality’. Gender, Work & Organization, 15(5), pp.430-453.

Silbermann, R. (2015). Gender Roles, Work-Life Balance, and Running for Office. QJPS, 10(2), pp.123-153.

Welbourne, T. (2014). Two numbers for growth, innovation and high performance: Working and optimal employee energy. Organizational Dynamics, 43(3), pp.180-188.

Whittle, A. (2008). From Flexibility to Work-Life Balance: Exploring the Changing Discourses of Management Consultants. Organization, 15(4), pp.513-534.