What is a flexible work policy?

A flexible work policy is a set of guidelines and procedures that allow employees to have greater control over their work schedules and/or locations. This can include flexible work hours, telecommuting, job sharing, and other arrangements allowing employees to customize their work schedules to better suit their needs.

Flexible work policies can benefit both employers and employees. Employers can reduce real estate and overhead costs, improve employee engagement, and increase productivity. Employees can experience improved work-life balance, reduced commuting time and expenses, and increased job satisfaction.

To implement a flexible work policy, an organization may need to assess its current workforce, evaluate the feasibility of different options, and communicate the policy clearly to employees. Establishing guidelines and procedures for tracking employee work hours, ensuring that employees remain productive, and addressing any challenges that may arise is also important.

Along with the term flexible working or flexible office, flexible work policies are established between the company and employee to define how the flexible or hybrid working style will be done. In order to establish a flexible work policy, the company will need to evaluate the types of flexibility that can be offered, include managers and executives in the planning of the policies, and train managers and staff to have an understanding of how policies are put into place. Different arrangements of flexible working include; in-office flexibility, remote working flexibilities, and how employees may manage their time.