4 Points to consider prior introducing flexible working
Flexible working is a term which is very attractive to employees and candidates. It benefits employees a great deal and the employers if it is implemented the right way to the right crowd.
There are many requests and suggestions from the side of employees for flexible working conditions. However, all these suggestions cannot be simply brushed away. Sure, the employer has the right to not implement them, but only with a proper acceptable reason. Some of the suggestions will not be practical but the rest will be beneficial to both the employees and the employer.
Flexible working can include a multitude of things like working hours, job sharing, work from home, and more. If implemented after analyzing the employee behavior, it can turn out to be highly advantageous to the company’s output. It also adds to retention.
While it is a very happening term, there are also a lot of things that can go wrong if it isn’t implemented a certain way. It can lead to a major change in work pattern which can indirectly disrupt the entire working process for the good or bad. Here are a few things you should keep in mind before considering implementing flexible working.
Communication
One of the valid concerns is the break in communication between employees and employers. With flexible working conditions implemented, it will be hard to gather the team together in order to update them about something. However, with the use of technology that is easily available in the current scenario, the concern fades away. There are many project management tools available in the market. These tools help in tracking, documenting and sharing of work among a pre-mentioned set of people. Find platforms that cater to your company culture according to your need and there will be no break in communication.
Data security
If work-from-home is one of your features in flexible working, then one of your major concern will be employees taking home confidential information thereby putting the company’s security at risk. The company needs to ensure that sensitive information is only available in the right hands and that the employees are informed very seriously about it as well. Also, all important data should be backed-up into at least one system at all times.
Commercial insurance
One of the things you should ensure when flexible working conditions are implemented in your office is if your insurance policy is friendly to it or not. Flexible working conditions being one of the newer features seen in companies, it is important to make sure that the insurance policy adapts to new changes and covers anything new too. Something that comes under flexible working might not have come under the old-school method and won’t be considered work under the insurance conditions. This needs to be taken care of.
Risk assessment
When sudden changes in working conditions are made, there are a lot of risk factors involved in it. You need to make sure that the new environment people choose to work from is safe and acceptable. Sharing of data should be more carefully done. You also need to make sure that the flexibility isn’t taken advantage of. Instead they should be seen as a freedom given to the employees because of the company’s trust in them and that they shouldn’t be misused one bit.