Flexible Workplaces

Flexible Workplaces

What is a flexible workplace? This may sound odd, but flexible workplaces are becoming harder to define, because they are more apparent. Many workplaces have maternity leave (paid or unpaid) and flexible working hours, but there are other workplaces which offer a higher level of flexibility in order to maintain high morale and low employee turnovers. It is economical for workplaces to be flexible because it keeps employees happy and helps to retain skilled workers. Reeves suggests, 'Nobody should think for a moment that companies are offering these services out of the goodness of their hearts, out of concern for the health of the nation. They are offering them because their increasingly demanding workers are demanding them. Because they keep staff happier, healthier and therefore more productive. It is all about the bottom line' (Reeves, 2001:90). So what types of flexible workplaces are around?

In Work and Family: the importance of workplace flexibility in promoting balance between work and family , Kevin Andrews provides three examples of flexible workplaces in Australia. Austral Tree and Stump Services is the first employer that is considered to offer flexible workplace practices. Andrews describes this workplace as a place where: 'employees determine their starting and finishing times where practicable; employees determine which days they are able to work; staff are regularly granted time off in lieu for any overtime work (and overtime is not encouraged)' (2005/2006: 13). He also states that, 'staff are allowed to use single days of annual leave; paid time off (ie time off without using annual leave etc) during school holidays has been awarded to employees with children to allow them to spend time together as a family during school holidays and priority is given to applications for annual leave by staff wanting time off during school holidays' (2005/2006: 13).

The second case study that Andrews undertakes is that of the ANZ Banking Group. This employee has a number of interesting flexible initiatives. This workplace offered such services as: 'partnership to develop and operate child care centres at convenient sites; 12 weeks paid parental leave and simultaneous parental leave; co-parent paid leave; flexible working hours and work weeks; job share, lifestyle leave; nursing mother rooms and policy and flexible workspaces' (2005/2006: 14). Greenslopes Private Hospital was the final case study, and this flexible workplace included: 'on-site child care; job share; working from home, regular part-time work; paid and unpaid carer's leave; lactation breaks and support and breastfeeding rooms' (2005/2006: 14).

On site carer's leave, on-site child-care and nursing facilities seem to be three characteristics that are appearing in new flexible workplaces. Websites such as Houstons Flexwork offers toolkits for creating flexible workplaces in Houston and the US. They provide the example of JP Morgan Chase as the case study here. Encouraging people to work when 'they are most productive' (Houston Flexworks. I believe this is a motto that should surround flexible workplaces. To develop workplaces which create environments that stimulate employees and foster productivity. This not only protects the morale of the employees but also cement strengthens the relationships within the workplace between employer and employee's. Good jobs are hard to come by and flexible workplaces create and maintain loyal workers.

Andrews K., Work and Family: the importance of workplace flexibility in promoting balance between work and family 2005/2006.

Houston government Houstons Flexwork [accessed 20.3.2006].

Reeves R., Happy Mondays: putting the pleasure back into work. New York: Perseus, 2001.

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