Brian Dow, CEO of Mental Health UK, recently issued a stark warning to UK prime minister Rishi Sunak about the rise of burnout across the nation.
One strategy HR leaders can undertake to improve employee wellbeing is to offer flexible working strategies.
The UK is by no means the first country to embrace flexible working. In fact, 27 years ago, Finland played a pioneering role as one of the first European countries to provide flexible working for staff, which highlighted the importance of spending more time with family and exercising while the sun was still up.
What benefits can the C-suite expect to see?
Improved quality of life
78% of flexible workers say that working flexibly has had a positive impact on their quality of life. Parents are more involved in every aspect of their children’s lives, young professionals are struggling less with the shift from university to full-time employment and in general, people have time to do things that bring them joy. These factors are no longer nice to have but vital in terms of physical health, cognitive function, and mental state.
Increased performance
Research has confirmed that flexible working improves performance and motivates teams more than an annual bonus. This proves that the increased autonomy in the workplace through the implementation of flexible work has already had an exceptional impact on task output, motivation levels and mental health in employees. This, in turn, supports organisations and their objectives without sacrificing employee wellbeing.
Increased talent pool
When businesses offer flexibility, they increase their talent pool. Flexibility opens doors for diversity, inclusion and new skills, as well as helps to retain the talent organisations already have. With more than half of the workforce stating they would consider leaving their job due to a lack of flexibility, it’s not a matter of if organisations will get on board, but when.
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