This is the ninth of 10 installations of Envol’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Series!
Our goal is to support organization leaders in taking real action to advance DEI within their teams, throughout their business, and in their communities.
Today, let’s dive into the importance of offering flexible work hours, what this can look like in practice, and how it benefits your entire team.
The Importance of Flexible Work Hours
Flexible work hours can present unique opportunities and challenges depending on the nature of your business.
Some employers might feel hesitant to offer flexible work hours because they are concerned about balancing clients’ needs with functional hours of operation.
Others may be concerned about maintaining a strong internal rhythm in their business that is facilitated by staff working simultaneously.
And these are both completely valid concerns!
But it’s important to keep in mind that offering your team flexibility in their work hours doesn’t necessarily correlate to their ability to stay on track or mean that they will be hopping offline throughout the workday.
Having flexible work hours just means that your employees can better accommodate their personal schedules.
It’s all about trusting your team to use flexible work hours thoughtfully!
Examples of Flexible Work Hours
Some practical applications for flexible work hours can include:
- Offering flex time for appointments. Employers have the option to require missed worktime to be made-up or forgiven. Ensure you remain in compliance with active Employment Agreements and your province’s Employment Standards regarding averaging hours and paying overtime.
- Allowing staggered start and end times. (E.g., to honour dates of cultural or religious significance, allow parents to drop-off or pick up kids from school, etc.)
- Supporting work from home arrangements for specific durations to accommodate employee wellness and ability. (E.g., employees who struggle with mental health challenges, employees who require a specific tool or technology to accommodate full participation)
Benefits of Flexible Work Hours
The power of advancing DEI within your organization lays in employees feeling respected, understood, and accepted for who they are as individuals.
Due to intersections in identity, and other factors beyond our control, we don’t all experience the same degree of ease in our day-to-day lives. This is why accommodation matters.
When an employer offers reasonable accommodation for flexible work hours, employees feel trusted and supported in managing situations beyond their control (i.e., health-related appointments) or engaging in culturally or religiously significant events that may otherwise conflict with work hours.
Employees notice when their employer makes an effort to show that they care about their needs outside of the workplace. The result? Higher retention rates, enhanced diversity in talent pools, and improved wellbeing and productivity (to name a few!).
Need some support in implementing flexible work hours and policies at your company? Reach out to our team of HR experts – we’re here to help!