Commentary: Want flexible work arrangements but afraid to ask? Here’s how

HYBRID WORK A WIN-WIN FOR EMPLOYERS AND STAFF

When done right, hybrid work is a win-win for employers and their staff.

Since employees make decisions based on what will make them most comfortable, efficient and happy, the freedom to choose whether to work at home or on-site, and on which days, is empowering.

More flexibility leads to a balanced workload, participation in team activities and higher work-life satisfaction. According to Gallup research, engaged employees produce better business outcomes and can lead to a 23 per cent increase in profitability. They also tend to stick around their workplaces more.

It is thus in companies’ interest to give workers the flexibility to create their own schedules.

CONCERNS ABOUT THE STIGMA OF FLEXI-WORK

There are, however, legitimate concerns from workers about flexi-work. The resulting loss in facetime with bosses, for instance, can have an unfavourable impact on their career.

Academics call this phenomenon “proximity bias”: An unconscious tendency to give preferential treatment to those in our immediate vicinity.

This bias can be unwise when remote workers can achieve just as much, if not more, than those on-site. A 2015 study by Stanford economists showed that remote workers at a Chinese travel agency had higher performance levels but lost out to in-house staff on performance-based promotions.