I read this article from HR Grapevine with some frustration, and here is a quote from it:
“A survey has revealed that 77% of workers have said they’ve done ‘something they shouldn’t have’ during work hours, including one in ten respondents who said they have sex when they should be working.”
And? Providing the required outcomes are achieved for the employer when they are needed, what does it matter?
I fully take the point that in a lot of areas, time is critical: opening or service hours have to be maintained, there needs to be sufficient capacity available in certain hours, workflows with differing teams and locations need to be co-ordinated etc etc.
But there are lots and lots of jobs which aren’t time critical: an amount of output needs to be achieved in a particular period. If that is the case, who cares when the work is done, providing it gets done? If that gives flexibility for doing other things such as shopping, childcare, housework, errands or even having sex, then everyone is happier – and probably more loyal and productive as a result.
From a middle management and team’s point of view, this all should be agreed up front: what work needs to be done by when, what is acceptable behaviour, how much flexibility we are giving our teams and people, core hours, how processes can work in a flexible working environment etc etc.
If it hasn’t been and you are finding getting it implemented smoothly a challenge, then please contact me or take a look at www.springboardttf.com for more information.
#flexibleworking #teamwork #middlemanagement #futureofwork #futureleadership