The benefits of flexible working for your team

Flexible working means giving your employees more freedom over when and where they work. During the pandemic, there wasn’t much choice but to work remotely. However, now that restrictions have lifted, at After Digital we promote flexible working practices to encourage the best performance from our team. This involves giving employees the opportunity to work in the office or at home and the power to choose their own start, end and lunch times. This way of working supports our agile working practices and ensures we’re fully equipped to meet our goals. But, that’s not the only benefit of promoting a flexible working environment. Read on to learn more...

Cut your business costs 

The first obvious advantage to flexible working is the saved costs associated with it. First of all, it’s great for employers, as with reduced numbers in the office, you can save on overhead costs by renting out some of your space to another business. This additional income allows for rent and utility bills to be covered so the company is not making a loss. 

Additionally, flexible work environments allow employees to save on the personal costs of daily transport. Even coffees and lunches can add up! So, by cutting the costs associated with travelling to the office, employees have more money to spend on the things they enjoy.

Since staff aren’t required to be physically present in the office for a full day, absence rates also reduce; a problem which would normally cost the UK economy £18 billion in lost productivity each year. Improved staff availability and productivity ensures happier customers and prevents your team from becoming overworked.

Additionally, flexible hours allow for a better match between business resources and demand. It’s not so much a cost saver, but a relationship builder. If members of your team are happy to start later and work later into the evening for example, you can serve your customers outside of the standard 9-5 working hours- creating loyalty and strengthening your relationships. This in turn, should help you onboard new clients in the future.

Reduce your carbon footprint

With less people travelling into the office by car or by public transport, you will have a reduced carbon output which goes a long way towards your organisation’s sustainability efforts. Not only does a lower carbon footprint ease the conscience, but it could also endear your company to a brand new group of clients who value environmental sustainability in a service provider/supplier. What’s more, reducing transport use could help you reach your net zero goal sooner than the industry estimate. 

Prioritise your team’s mental health 

In 2019 over eight hundred thousand cases of stress, depression and anxiety caused (or worsened) by work were reported as a reason for a work absence. Additionally, in 2018, mental health conditions were the reason for 12.4% of sickness absence in the UK. 

Flexible working hours can help to drastically reduce these figures, by making employees feel less constrained and encouraging a healthier work life balance. An overstretched and overworked team won’t produce healthy results and will likely result in employees needing to take more time off. Flexible working lets employees work around their personal lives - enjoying more time with their family, participating in hobbies and having a strong social life - all components which are recommended to improve a person’s mental health.

Attract top talent to join your team

Employees actively seek flexible working conditions when applying for jobs for a number of reasons, and  92% of millennials identified flexibility as a top priority when job hunting. However, despite the impact of the Covid-19 shift to home working, less than 22% of advertised UK jobs offered flexibility, so there’s a lack of supply for the demand that’s out there. Offering flexible working conditions could make you a more attractive workplace to top performing talent—giving you a leg up on your competitors. 

Not only that, but flexible working hours help improve talent retention because staff are more satisfied with the company benefits. Almost half of UK employees said they would leave their current role if their employer stopped offering flexible working. Global Workplace Analytics found that 95% of employers saw an improvement in retention rates after implementing flexible working. 

This also allows businesses to hold onto older employees who want to reduce their workload but are not quite ready to retire, maintaining staff with institutional knowledge.

Home working also helps employees manage any disability or health conditions as well as caring duties. This helps to attract a more diverse team, allowing you to gain access to a greater range of talent.

Flexible working not only benefits your team, but your organisation and clients. Increase your business’ productivity, job satisfaction and reduce your costs by adopting this practice and see the improvements for yourself.

Do you need help with your digital services? Get in touch and we’ll be happy to help you. Or you can check out our previous work.