As the modern workplace evolves and technology has made immediate connectivity a reality, more workers want to take advantage of flexible hours and working remotely. However, consistency is important in designing a flexible workplace policy in a federal agency, but it also presents a challenge because there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
The issues addressed by applying a flexible workplace solution, whether it be boosting employee engagement, achieving a better work/life balance, or making efforts more productive and congruous, “there can’t be just one approach on how these programs are applied,” says Mika Cross, a federal workplace expert working for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service at the Department of Labor.
This can create challenges for organizational leaders. “Management is often faced with these really hard decisions for their team that don’t—and can't—look the exact same [for all team members],” Cross says. “That can be concerning for some because of the appearance of inequity.”
Addressing Perceived Inequity
At the surface level, it might look unfair for some workers to be offered the opportunity to work from home, while others are made to adhere to the traditional 9 to 5 in-office workday; however, by offering telework as one option of many workplace flexibilities, often employees themselves will figure out if it is right for them.
“When you integrate telework as just one option in a suite of many workplace programs that employees might be able to participate in, some find they are are more suitable than others based on their job duties, their level of competency, their level of comfort with technology or remote work practices, and variance of the [agency’s] mission,” says Cross.
Additionally, it doesn’t always have to be the manager making the decision of who works remotely and who doesn’t. Cross says that inviting employees to the solution table to discuss what would work best for them is a great way to ensure that employees have input to the work arrangement that both allows them to get the job done while still participating in some form of workplace flexibilities.
The ultimate goal is to accomplish the mission of the organization, and telework should be presented as a tool, Cross says. The question should be how can telework be offered as an option to help facilitate and accommodate employees getting work done on behalf of the organizational mission. This is also important when you consider that in most workplaces there are many generations of employees, with no two work preferences being the exact same.
The Benefits of Telework
The growing popularity and utilization of telework has demonstrated qualitative and quantitative benefits in the workplace. “As a benefit, agencies are now seeing the expansion of telework really driving other efficiencies across the organization,” says Cross.
One of the most important efficiencies is financial. As resources become more scarce, agencies are looking for ways to cut costs without cutting services. By incorporating telework, many agencies have seen huge returns on investment, says Cross, as the agencies themselves require less physical space to operate.
“Because there is a benefit both to the employee and the organization, agencies are able to save a lot of money as it relates to facilities, leased office space, utilities and transit subsidies,” says Cross.
A less tangible benefit, Cross says, has to do with levels of employee engagement. “Looking at employee engagement scores as they relate to the annual Best Places to Work Report, you can see a very close and direct correlation between the organizations that rank the highest… and higher levels of satisfaction their employees rate on work/life programs and telework,” she says.
When it comes down to it, telework is changing the way the modern employee thinks about their workday, says Cross. Smart agencies will understand and manage this change, rather than have the inevitable change manage them.
For a deeper dive into this topic, join me September 7 at the Government Workforce Conference.
