Feeling tired, burnt out and working longer hours than ever before? What about your friends and staff – are they saying similar things?
New research conducted by Deloitte and Swinburne University of Technology has found that since the pandemic, 1 in 3 Australians are working more hours each week. As a result, a whopping 90% of workers now say their physical and mental wellbeing is just as important as their pay. This is staggering given rising inflation and escalating costs.
The study also found 2 in 5 workers think flexibility is more important than a pay rise.
That’s why flexible working arrangements are so important. They are now seen as an essential component in achieving work-life balance and better mental health.
Even location-dependent workers expect the flexibility of setting their own hours.
All employers across all industries need to get serious about flexible working!
As an employer, it’s a trend you can’t ignore. Indeed, if you wish to retain your best people and attract better quality candidates to fill vacancies, you need to embrace flexible working.
But don’t just give it lip service! You need to genuinely offer flexibility – regardless of the type of work or your industry. Clearly this will be challenging for businesses that rely on location-dependent workers. It means you need to think creatively and investigate what’s important to each and every staff member.
Monitoring, managing and compliance
It’s a mistake to believe flexible working arrangements can be an informal arrangement. In fact, the opposite is true.
The Deloitte/Swinburne University of Technology research found remote workers tend to work longer hours than their on-site counterparts. Yet 28% of flexible workers reported they weren’t being compensated for working these additional hours through things like overtime, time-off-in-lieu or through a salary agreement.
In addition, most Australian organisations aren’t tracking or recording the hours their remote employees are working. This is concerning because under Australian workplace relations laws, employers are expected to have systems in place to ensure they are accurately paying their employees.
This is why it’s critically important to have workplace policies and contracts in place that outline:
- The hours employees are required to work
- The days or hours they are expected to work on-site each week
- Working from home health and safety guidelines
- And other items tailored to each business’ operations
When you know how, controlling flexible working arrangements is straightforward
As your outsourced HR consultants, we are skilled in helping you and your staff balance the needs of your business with your staff’s need for work-life balance.
We can also assist with drawing up policies, procedures and employment contracts that clearly specify expectations and obligations. Plus we’re always on-hand to provide guidance on any staffing matter.
If you would like an expert to take over your HR obligations, contact the team at End2end Business Solutions on 02 8977 4002. We offer full service and project-based human resources advice.