We all have a career to uphold, a family to provide for and a household to maintain. Juggling everything successfully can be demanding. But if we’re all in a similar boat, then why do so many workplaces and managers still limit or refuse flexible working opportunities?
Research conducted in Australia shows that 84% of Aussie workers would choose a job that offered flexible working over a job that did not, and almost 1 third of people value being able to choose their work location over an increase in holiday allowance.* With the rise of technology and smart devices, the cloud and remote access – most employees do not need to be physically onsite to access documents and complete tasks. So, this makes flexible work arrangements realistic and achievable.
But flexible work goes much further than just being able to choose your work location. Sure, working from home or the beach or a café is great – but flexible work means so much more. Imagine being able to win back hours of your day, as a reward for your increased productivity. If work is completed to a high standard, if targets are met, and if business goals are achieved – then why does it matter how many hours per day you work, or which hours of the day you work? You might choose to wake up early and work from 6am to lunch time so you can have the afternoon off. Or you might be a night owl and prefer to use your daylight hours personally, then tackle your work projects of an evening or night.
Of course, this does not work for everyone or every company. But when it does, the benefits outweigh anything else. Imagine a world where fewer vehicles clogged up the roads in busy peak hour periods, where public transport systems were not overloaded with people and imagine being able to downsize your work premise and cut down on overheads such as equipment costs, heating, lighting and all the pollution that comes with these things.
The benefits for us humans are great too. Parents with formalised flexible working arrangements experience better mental health outcomes, according to Australian research.** From reduced stress levels, improved mental health, better work-life balance and even cost-savings, working flexibly is the change that some people so desperately need in their lives. After all, does it really make sense to spend 70% of your week at work, leaving only 30% of your week with your loved ones?
International Flexible Working Day lands on the 10th of June this year.*** Why not take this opportunity to commit to a plan for more flexible working arrangements for yourself? At The Bubble Co, we pride ourselves on our commitment to remote, flexible work arrangements that benefit our team, our business and most of all, our clients. If you want to learn more about what we do and how we work, then get in touch with us today.
