FLEXIBILITY IN THE WORKPLACE
For the past ten years, Mark Taylor has worked for the TLJ computer company in New York. Until 2020, he spent his five-day workweek at the office, working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then came the Covid pandemic, the company's offices closed, and employees worked from home. For Taylor, this was a good arrangement. "It meant I could do my work at night," he explained. "And that's when I work most efficiently." He was therefore delighted to discover that when the TLJ offices opened again, the company had a new policy: Employees were required to be at the office only two days a week, and could continue working from home the other three days.(lines 1–7)
TLJ is just one of many companies that now give workers some control over when and where they do their work. "Flexible work options enable employees to build a schedule that is better suited to the demands of their daily lives," says sociologist Natalie Gibson. "For example, parents of young children might want to spend the afternoons with them. Other workers might prefer to start the workday around midday because they want to avoid the heaviest traffic." People who work flexible hours, she adds, report feeling less stress in their personal lives as well as greater job satisfaction.(lines 8–14)
The mix of working at the office and from home is the most common model of flexible work. There are, however, several other types. In one, for example, workers can choose to spend four 10-hour days at the office and get a three-day weekend. Another model allows workers to spread their weekly work hours across as many workdays as they like. "Of course, flexible work can make it difficult to find a time when everyone can participate in teamwork or in staff discussions," says Gibson. "Therefore, many companies set 2-hour meetings twice a week that all workers must attend. If they're working from home, they are required to join online."(lines 15–21)
Of course, not everyone can work from home or choose their work hours. "Many jobs require workers to be at a specific place at a specific time," says Gibson. "Think, for example, of the people serving customers at the bank." Nevertheless, 45% of businesses already offer some kind of flexibility. According to Gibson, there are reasons to believe that the trend will continue to increase. "After all, we have the technology needed for flexible work," she says, "and most people prefer it. As a result, employers offering flexible jobs have many high-quality applicants to choose from. So there are clearly benefits for all concerned."(lines 22–28)