Flexible working has become increasingly popular since the Covid pandemic. Research from Swinburne highlights, however, that the benefits require good leadership in order to materialize.
The researchers quizzed Australian workers on their experiences of remote work and their findings provide practical guidance to help companies implement effective flexible working policies to ensure that employee wellbeing is boosted.
“Flexible work is the new frontier for organizations to manage their employees’ well-being. Flexible working delivers more time and control to the individual—better work-life balance—which enables them to better prioritize their well-being both during and outside of work,” the researchers explain
A sense of balance
The researchers find that flexible working provides people with a sense of balance in their lives, which improves their wellbeing. Despite this, around a quarter of respondents said that they regularly work from home even without a remote working policy in place at their organization.
The researchers believe that this places employees at risk of psychosocial harm, including lower job control and a lack of role clarity. This is likely to result in many organizations failing to meet their obligations with regards to psychosocial safety.
So, while flexible working has the potential to improve the wellbeing of employees, it needs the right leadership to make this so. For instance, the research highlights the planning and investment that is required, yet seldom delivered, to overcome any challenges people have when they work from home.
These challenges can result in a blurring of work-life boundaries and potential burnout from an unhealthy increase in the number of hours people work. For instance, the survey found that over a third of employees were working more since working flexibly, even though few were explicitly asked to do so by their boss.
“An important factor which warrants further attention is the impact leaders can have on employees and their well-being through trust and expectation setting when it comes to flexible work,” the researchers explain.
“Flexible work policies need to be equitable rather than equal, while also meeting the needs of the workforce and the organization. Consulting with their workers about how to balance the equation between employee expectations and organization needs is leadership in action.”
An inclusive process
This is further emphasized by a recent report from Rotman, which examines who has thus far benefited from shifts to a more remote or hybrid style of working and what companies should be doing to ensure anyone that’s currently disadvantaged by the move can also benefit.
For instance, the authors highlight that the move to remove working has not been entirely benign, and has been associated with work-life conflict, career penalties, as well as stress and various other mental health challenges. What’s more, these challenges are most likely to be felt by those who are already suffering from inequity in other ways.
The authors are at pains to point out that these aren’t issues that are specific to remote working per se, but are rather around the stereotypes, biases, and social norms that so often exist around how we perceive paid and unpaid work.
Unequal access
“The ability to telecommute disproportionately belongs to higher-income, white-collar workers who are predominantly white and male,” the authors write. “Those with poor access to housing and high-speed internet or who experience unsafe situations such as domestic violence cannot readily work remotely.”
The report also highlights the erosion of boundaries between work and personal life for those who are primary caregivers, who tend to be women. This can lead to a significant increase in the amount of both paid and unpaid work that is unhealthy and unsustainable.
Of course, the availability of remote work also offers the prospect of increased economic activity, as caregivers can remain in the workforce in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Similarly, workers could capitalize on their digital work patterns to move to less expensive areas.
There remain challenges in terms of the stigma associated with remote work, and especially the tendency to associate it with women and racialized people, who are most likely to experience biases should they work remotely. This can result in career penalties, such as fewer promotions and wage reductions.
“Remote work policies must be matched by public and organizational policies that address gendered structures,” the authors explain. “Such structures contribute to increased work-life conflict and mental health issues for caregiving women while working from home.”
These include public policies, such as adequate paid family leave, affordable childcare, and flexible work options that encourage more egalitarian relationships. There are clearly benefits from a reduction in the stigma associated with remote work, with employees strongly in favor of it and boosts typically seen in terms of motivation and performance.
These studies remind us, however, that such benefits are not a given and we need to ensure that managers are able to communicate consistently and reliably with employees, while also ensuring that there are no explicit or implicit expectations of extremely long hours to ensure that those benefits are met across all of the workforce.
