Blog post by Jessica Riester, founder of FlexWork Connection.

Jessica Riester, Founder FlexWork Connection

In this economy, some companies have moved work/life priorities to a back burner.  It’s understandable, of course.  When the headlines are full of bankruptcies and government bailouts as companies struggle to survive, why should work life get any attention?  Isn’t it just a benefit, a nice thing to do for employees after all?

Not true.  If done correctly, flexible work practices - a key work life directive -can help attract and retain top talent, which in our knowledge-based economy is still a business imperative,  as well as lead to enhanced productivity.  Case in point, ROWE (Results Only Work Environment) implemented at Best Buy results show 41% productivity improvement (www.culturerx.com) as well as improvements in morale, decreases in voluntary turnover and absenteeism.  The BOLD (Business Opportunities for Leadership Diversity) Initiative (backed by a grant from the Sloan Foundation) which  also has a team-based, results focused approach to flexibility cites similar productivity increases as well- 20-80% productivity gains in departments within companies such as The Chubb Corporation, Gannett, Nextel and PepsiCo ( Flexible Work Arrangements: A Productivity Triple Play Harvey A. Thompson & Beatrice A. Fitzpatrick, The BOLD Initiative).

Not only are flexibility initiatives proving successful for professional-level positions, but a new study by WFD Consulting demonstrates success in offering flexibility to hourly workers as well.  “By building flexibility into the staffing models”, the study claims “some of the companies reduce overtime costs and offer more control and choice to employees over their working hours.  In addition, some of the companies have documented productivity gains and cycle time reductions as a result of implementing flexible work options.”

So my point is that if companies are looking for ways to improve bottom line results AND create a long term human capital strategy that will allow them to attract and retain top talent, they should take a good look at offering employees the ability to choose when and where their work gets done.