Flexible Working Practices and Their Place in Todays Organizations Essay

Flexible Working Practices and Their Place in Todays Organizations - Essay Example This is the reason why companies need to focus on increasing employees’ satisfaction with their jobs. Provision of flexible work environment to employees is one of the main steps a company takes to increase employee motivation and satisfaction levels (Brenner, Fairris & Ruser 2004). In this paper, we will discuss some of the key flexible work practices that can make jobs attractive for employees. The paper will include a discussion on the way human resources can be managed so that employees become more motivated and satisfied with their jobs. 2. Flexible Work Practices Flexible work practices mean different things for different organizations. Some organizations think of flexible work practices as a way to establish a good working relationship between partners, customers, and shareholders, whereas some companies take flexible work practices as the ways to improve employee performance. Generally speaking, flexibility in doing job is all about the way an employer and an employee make changes to when, how, and in which way he/she will work to meet business and individual needs in a proper manner. Flexible work practices help companies in reducing workplace conflicts and employee turnover problems. As Batt and Valcour (2003, p. 189) state, â€Å"the most effective organizational responses to work-family conflict and to turnover are those that combine work-family policies with other human resources practices, including work redesign and commitment-enhancing incentives†. Flexible work practices refer to that type of flexibility that serves both employees and companies in accommodating individual needs (Avery & Zabel 2001, p. 139). Flexible work practice enables businesses as well as individuals to meet their respective needs by making appropriate changes to location (where), time (when), and manner (how) in which employers and employees carry out their job activities. â€Å"Flexibility should be mutually beneficial to both the employer and employee and result in superior outcomes† (Workplace Flexibility 2011). There is a number of flexible work practices that managers can carry out to make employees satisfied with their jobs. Some of those practices include flexible working hours, part-time work, variable year and part-year employment, motivation through recognition, facilitating remote working, job sharing, phased retirement, and flexible job hours. Allowing employees to work in ways that can help them balance their personal and professional life requirements easily is good for employees, as well as for businesses (Stredwick & Ellis 2005, p. 1). Let us discuss some of the main flexible working practices in detail to know how they contribute to improved employee and organizational performances. 2.1 Flexible Working Hours One of the best flexible work practices is to allow flexible working hours to employees (Pil & Macduffie 1996). Managers can schedule the working hours of employees in such a way that employees can feel rela xed. For example, they can change the work timings of 8am - 4pm to 9am – 5pm. Similarly, they can alter the scheduling of work timings to facilitate employees in doing their personal works. For example, they can make employees work for 10 hours a day and then give a 2 hours relaxation for the next day. In this way, the total number of working hours for employees will be the same as in normal case.