Labor flexibility, employees and companies: does it match?

Work flexibility is the future!

Before, telecommuting was the pet peeine of companies! Mr. Curious preferred to keep an eye on the work of his employees all the time. Madame Peureuse was too afraid of procrastination. As for Mr. Serious, he liked to conform to standards. Today, all of these employers are being forced to evolve as the codes change. Thus, companies are rethinking their working method to integrate a new organization, a brand new management and flexibility at work.

 

The flexibility of telework and employees: does it match?

Teleworking is on everyone's lips 👄

Because it must be said, the health crisis has given it a big boost. Before the Coronavirus, only 3% of French employees were in total remote. Today, they are 25%. 

Whether forced or desired, the telework stands out as a viable and secure solution. It is considered by the majority, because it breaks the codes and comes in several forms. In short: this flexible way of working seems to have a bright future ahead of him.

What's more, it has many advantages: time savings in transport, work flexibility, increased productivity... But, are the main stakeholders, a.k.a. the employees, really satisfied with it? The answer in numbers!

• 54.3% of employees find themselves more productive working from home and 38.2% think they are as productive as before.
• 95% of people plan to continue working from home after the disaster movie "Coronavirus" ends, at least a few days a week. 
• 73% of employees say they are satisfied with working from home.

 

And the remaining 27%, are we talking about it? 🗣️

Despite its many advantages, we cannot say that telework is the miracle cure. In fact, it is even crucial to press where it hurts: its disadvantages. Without doing so, it would be impossible to find adequate solutions!

Disorganization, burn-out, conf-call in pajamas, confusion between professional and personal life: the risks of teleworking are numerous. Together, they are part of a new era, of renewal, of change. And this change can be brutal. In any case, this is what this interview with a telework employee for France Culture demonstrates: 

“The love of being at home lasted a morning, no more. The sofa, the teapot on the desk, the lunch break that goes well: all that is fantasy. The living room table turned into an office during the entire confinement and my daily life consisted of three screens!

We agree: on his lips, teleworking does not sell dreams. The key is knowing how to tame it and shape it so that it adapts to everyone's needs. 

In addition, working conditions at home are not the same as in the office. 

In general, people are much more involved at home, unable to manage their working time or take breaks. This is also why so many people think they are more productive working from home. 

The impact of work flexibility is a good thing for some, a nightmare for others. And the challenges to be met in teleworking are numerous: 

• Become familiar with isolation;
• Optimize comfort;
• Organize your days from waking up to going to bed;
• Create a workspace at home;
• Maintain motivation and productivity;
• Separate professional and personal life;
• Find time for yourself...

Disadvantages of flexible working: the key figures 🔑

• 70% of people think that the lack of comfort due to teleworking is a problem.
• 37% of remote workers feel isolated while working remotely.
• 57% of employees don't have a workspace at home.

For these numbers to improve, remote working must be organized rather than endured. By the way, one more thing needs to be organised: home employee workspace. 

We talk less about it, but the risks associated with teleworking are also physical. Keeping in shape while working from home and keeping your spine in place is a necessity. 

So, what should you do to improve your ergonomics at work? How to fight sedentary lifestyle? Is it necessary to consult an osteopath and if so, how many times a year?

Here are some bulk tips for taking care of yourself while working remotely: 

Take active micro breaks every hour. Play sports. To breathe. Correctly adjust your wheelchair and the distance between your eyes and your screen. Place the elbows so that they form a 90 to 100 degree angle. Buy a Desk + Chair Pack from Slean. Stretch 10 minutes every two hours. Consult an osteopath twice a year, or more. Have a room to yourself or at least a personal space to work.

But employees' efforts will be in vain if employers and HR managers do nothing. In effect, the company plays a major role in setting up a remote organization. It is she who is responsible for the well-being and good health of her employees!

 

Companies in all this, what do they think of the flexibility of work? 

Recruitment opportunities 💼

 On the recruiting side too, teleworking is blowing a breath of fresh air.

As telework becomes more democratic, the field of employee recruitment is widening. Because young graduates and work flexibility go together! Newcomers to the job market are looking for freedom.

The operational changeover is therefore taking place little by little. And the majority of employers are moving towards a rhythm of 3 days a week in telework. 

Consequently, it is no longer possible for companies to manage their organization as it goes. They must set up a strategy: 

• operational: optimize its remote organization;
• managerial: managing a remote team and adapting your leadership;
• relating to the well-being of employees : to make its teams fulfilled in a context of teleworking.

Telecommuting in business: what do the figures say? 🏢

• 49% of teleworkers work in large companies with more than 1000 employees.
• 36% of employees already complained about a lack of human relations at work, when they worked in the office.
• 56% of leaders find it difficult to manage remotely.

If companies are still hesitant about the idea of make telework permanent, this will quickly become a requirement for candidates! So...

Migrate to a friendly and motivating remote work organization is one of the objectives to be achieved by employers. Because managers who cling to the past risk seeing the best talent go directly to competitors.

This also means that managers will be more and more at the service of their team. Thus, they will have to do everything to ensure that each link in the chain is productive from home.

Benefits of flexibility for businesses 💸

In teleworking, employees do not have to deal with the multiple interruptions that took place in the office. Sophie can no longer come and disturb you to tell you about the email she has just sent you. Marc will not invite you to play a game of table tennis under the pretext that he is missing a player, as usual. And the ultimate team meeting planned at the last minute must now be planned at least a day in advance via Google Meets. 

In short, all those interruptions that hinder productivity instantly disappear remotely. No need to refocus every 10 minutes. And that is good!

But the benefits of teleworking for companies not only concern the concentration of employees. The advantages of work flexibility are also financial. 

Indeed, companies benefit from: 

• A reduction in real estate costs ;
• Increased productivity and therefore overall turnover ;
• Better employee loyalty and therefore less turnover.

In short, adding flexibility to employees' lives means gaining stability.

 

Disadvantages of teleworking for employers ⚠️

 Le lack of creativity is one of the main teleworking risks, with the isolation and overflow of professional life on personal life, of course. This decline in creativity is linked to a lack of contact, to the inability to brainstorm. 

The remote workers find it difficult to collaborate with their colleagues on ongoing projects. But videoconferenced team meetings, document sharing, frequent calls, and occasional face-to-face sessions can help overcome these potential obstacles. And if that's not enough, there is still partial teleworking! 

However, not all of the harms of working from home are so easy to overcome, including:

• Remote management that is sometimes tricky;
• Health problems related to passivity;
• To the loneliness that sets in step by step.

Let's talk little, let's talk about the new needs of companies!

The high flexibility of work creates problems: which ones? 🧐

Some companies probably thought that working from home would just be a fad

passenger. But clearly, the return to the office is not for tomorrow. 

Adopting best practices is therefore wise for companies. 

But before citing the solutions, let’s zoom in on the four business issues:

Comfort : rethink workspaces in the office and at home.

Communication : collaborate differently by using new tools and new working methods.

Corporate culture : vdriine corporate culture remotely.

Management : fto einoline management so that it adapts to this new context.

 

Think comfort: this is rule #1 for increasing work flexibility 1️⃣

 

For promote labor productiinity, teams should feel good, whereiner they are. the National Institute for Research and Security (INRS) recommends opting for a chair with an adjustable backrest, seat and armrests. 

As the Slean ergonomic chair, for example. 

Moreover, theworking environment of an employee must make him want to gand up every morning. This must be ergonomique, comfortable, practice et aesthandic. Finally, employees should have access to all the necessary accessories to work efficiently. 

Thus, they will be able to immerse themselves in work and bandter reconcile professional and family life. In short, band on the human capital by asking your employees directly what they need!

 

Communicate bandter: rule n°2 to increase work flexibility 2️⃣

Ergonomics at work, It's a thing. Most employee well-being also goes through effective remote communication. With this in mind, companies will have to equip their talents with professional and high-performance tools. But also redouble their creativity to allow employees to maintain working relationships !

"We need each other. Human beings are not made to isolate themselves, but to share. 

And we didn't say it! This is Alice Parizeau.

 

Reinvent the corporate culture: rule n°3 to increase work flexibility 3️⃣

 In 2021, a company cannot hire talent by asking them to work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. That time is over!

Allow flexible hours is a necessity more than a possibility. Not only because your employees don't all have the same needs. But also, because they don't have the same ability to concentrate. 

In fact, our average ability to concentrate is around 90 minutes. 

No wonder the Germans only work in the morning.

And then, the important thing is that the job is done. Not true ?

Whether Margaux works on weekends, Alice works from Berlin or John works in a coworking: the result will be the same. The organization of work is specific to each person. Some people are more focused in the morning, others in the evening. So, let's ask ourselves the right questions to reinvent the corporate culture ! 

Of course, everyone's working hours must be communicated to everyone. This way, your employees can know with whom they can or cannot communicate and when!

What do your talents have in common? What motivates them every day to work for you? How to create team cohesion in teleworking? 

Let's update our vision of work to be more efficient tomorrow. 

Because tomorrow is today.

Adopt positive remote management: rule n°4 to increase work flexibility 4️⃣

Adopting positive remote management is a guarantee of work flexibility. Thanks to your ability to adapt, you strengthen your ties with your employees. 

To begin with, you will have to move away from so-called "traditional" management. Leading and leading a remote team is very different from your daily work at the office. 

Finding the right balance between control and confidence will be a challenge. 

Making your employees want to get involved will be another. 

Finally, other best practices should be adopted to implement positive remote management. The increased flexibility of work is not acquired, it is cultivated.

 

Labor flexibility: an El Dorado or a burden?

Whether it's total remote, part-time telecommuting or a team of freelancers, work flexibility is everywhere. 

Of course, it raises major issues and imposes many adaptations.

A typical day at the office is very different from a typical day at home.

And whether you have permanent, fixed-term, temporary or freelance employees, working flexibility puts everyone on the same footing.

Because in change, there is always something positive. And he is the one to see.

By using new ways of working, companies can improve the social climate, increase employability and make their employees happy. 

So...

Hop hop hop, start by ordering them the best workstations on the market!