Introduction
Flexible work hours is a dream for many job seekers out there. The ability to work at your time and leisure is something that not many companies offer. However, it’s been found that organizations offering flexible work schedules have higher productivity rates compared to those that don’t offer such flexibility. Our guest for today, Matthew Davies will share his two cents on the matter.
When joining a company, you are forced to obey a schedule even if you are not used to. In most cases, this can be a good thing as a little bit of discipline has never hurt anyone. However, during employment, you will come across situations when your attention is needed somewhere else, but unfortunately, your job has you shackled to specific timings. We will be discussing some of the reasons as to how flexible working hours can benefit you.
The Reasons
Here are some reasons to have a flexible work schedule –
- Family – The very reason we want to get a job is to settle down and have a normal life. Maybe you have a bucket list of things to do, but at the end of the day, when the biological clock in most of us kicks in we look to settle down and start our own family.
If not, then we also have our existing families to look after. Such wants, coupled with personal obligations and responsibilities become a burden when they coincide with our work schedule.
Having flexibility at work allows us to do our job and take care of our homely responsibilities at the same time. Thus, flexible working hours allow the employees to work when they feel fresh and can accomplish the most, and in general, enjoy working.
- Commute – Travel is a great factor when going out to work. With flexible working hours, you can get up early and avoid the unnecessary traffic which you would have faced if you had stuck to your usual schedule. A slight shift in timing with the ability to work at early hours can be extremely convenient as you won’t have to be exhausted from all that travel.
Commute also involves the ability to work from home. If your work involves the usual paperwork and no field operations, then working from home once or twice a week can be quite helpful. Provided that you work with consistent efficiency, working from home will allow you to be more productive (if you don’t slack off) compared to a usual day at the office.
- Empowerment – Consider this, when do you feel more relaxed and willing to work? Is it when your boss is breathing down your shoulders, admonishing you for coming in late? Or is it when you are allowed to choose your working hours?
Though some people can perform under pressure, if you feel you’re not one of them, ask for flexible hours. The sense of empowerment you get from choosing your work hours encourages you to work with greater enthusiasm. It also reduces the burn out you experience from over-exerting yourself.
Conclusion
Flexible working hours are a great way to boost employee morale. Though it also comes with a few disadvantages, they can easily be monitored. According to Matthew Davies, humans can be the most efficient workers under any condition if they are motivated properly. Thus, in the right environment and working conditions, the true potential of man will shine brighter than the sun itself.
