Flexibility for Hourly Workers Links to Business Goals, Study Says
Workplace flexibility initiatives for hourly employees are as successful as those designed for professional staff. And businesses that offer hourly employees flexible work options find that they are critical management tools that enhance recruitment, retention, engagement, cost control, productivity and financial performance, according to a study released by Corporate Voices for Working Families, a national business group representing the private sector on public and corporate policy issues involving working families.
The study, "Innovative Workplace Flexibility Options for Hourly Workers," was released on May 7 at the organization’s annual meeting in Washington, DC, following remarks by First Lady Michelle Obama, who spoke about the importance of work-life programs to working families and to the competitiveness of American business. "We need to discuss quality on-site child care," said Obama. "This isn't just about family balance. This is about making workplaces stronger and more effective and keeping and attracting the most qualified people." She advised employers to follow the lead of innovators such as Bright Horizons and Johnson & Johnson, both Corporate Voices members, to implement work/life strategies such as child care, flexible work options, and other solutions that support working families and achieve business goals.
"Recent research about the value of workplace flexibility has focused primarily on management and professional workers. This study demonstrates that, when available, flexibility can be as beneficial or even more beneficial to hourly workers and the businesses that employ them," said Donna Klein, president and founder of Corporate Voices.
Among the report’s key findings:
- Managers and employees agree that flexibility has positive benefits and adds value for the business and for the individual employee in key areas involving productivity, customer service, employee work-life effectiveness, stress and well-being.
- For businesses, flexible schedules are an effective means of managing personnel costs, in particular overtime costs, which is a win-win for employees and employers.
- More than 80 percent of employers and employees surveyed say flexibility is important to recruitment and retention.
- In childcare, where there is a shortage of qualified early childhood teachers, flexible work options represents a key management strategy to recruit and retain individuals who are committed to their profession and to tap a wider labor pool than might be possible if the business offered a more limited work schedule.
- Companies have found that offering flexible schedules and innovative time-off policies contribute to being an "employer of choice" for younger workers in their competitive labor market.
- For positions in customer service and sales with typically high turnover, companies find that flexibility is a way to keep high-performing employees both in the short term and the long term. These companies use flexibility to respond to the changing needs of their workers at various stages of their lives and careers —going back to school, raising a family, or to retain mature workers.
- Flexible work options are being used in businesses with continuous operations that need weekend coverage or whose business hours extend beyond a 9 to 5 eight-hour day. This includes voluntary part-time positions as well as flextime and compressed work schedules.
"In this study, we find that it is not only formal flexible arrangements that produce these impressive results but progressive personnel policies and a work culture supportive of occasional flexibility that give workers access to a variety of time-off options and control over their work schedules," Klein said. "When companies provide employees with an array of flexibility and time-off options and an environment in which it is possible to access flexibility opportunities without barriers, employees develop their own strategies to use the options that best meet their individual needs and satisfy business requirements."
The "Innovative Workplace Flexibility Options for Hourly Workers" study was researched and written by WFD Consulting based on data from several sources: review of company business information concerning flexibility policies and results, a quantitative survey, and qualitative focus groups and interviews. The survey was conducted primarily online with over 200 managers and approximately 1,300 lower wage, non-exempt and hourly workers who utilize flexibility. A small comparison sample was included of about 130 employees who perform comparable jobs in the same companies but do not use flexibility. Twenty-five focus groups (21 groups with employees and 4 groups with managers) and 25 interviews were conducted with middle- and senior-level HR and line managers; in addition in one organization, six individual interviews were conducted with first-level managers in place of a focus group. The report also includes case studies of participating companies: Bright Horizons, Marriott International, PNC, Proctor & Gamble and a consumer goods manufacturer.
The complete report and an executive summary are available on the Corporate Voices for Working Families website at: www.cvworkingfamilies.org EXE: www.cvworkingfamilies.org
Reprinted with permission. © CCH
(Submitted May 2009)
<p>Businesses that offer hourly employees flexible work options find that they are critical management tools that enhance recruitment, retention, engagement, cost control, productivity and financial performance.</p>
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