Does Flexible Working Increase Productivity

Flexible working is increasingly being offered by businesses, especially after the world went remote in 2020.

In fact, in 2022 alone, ‘around 4.3 million employees in the United Kingdom had employment contracts that allowed for flexible working hours’, emphasising how many companies are adopting it into their way of working. 

If you’re wondering whether to allow flexible working in your small business, you might be wondering whether flexible working increases productivity.

The answer to this question is yes, flexible working can increase productivity for a number of reasons aside from the fact that flexible working lowers employee burnout.  

Flexible working increases productivity in that:

1. It boosts engagement
2. It provides employees with a better work-life balance
3. It enables employees to work more efficiently  
4. It reduces turnover 

1. It Boosts Engagement

A way in which flexible working promotes productivity is that it boosts engagement. 

Generally speaking, engaged employees are more attentive and enthusiastic about the role they’re in charge of, in turn encouraging them to carry out a good job.

When you consider that a study found that engaged employees resulted in a ‘41% reduction in absenteeism and a 17% increase in productivity’, the impact of engagement on productivity is evident. 

Not only does offering flexible working help to increase engagement amongst employees, but it also helps to improve focus and attention when working, empowering employees to strive to do their best.

2. It Provides Employees With A Better Work-Life Balance

Flexible working can also increase productivity in that it provides a better work-life balance.

Work-life balance is something many people prioritise, evidenced by the fact that ‘72% of employees consider work-life balance to be very important’ when searching for a new role.

From visiting the gym to spending time with friends and family members, flexible working models give employees the freedom to prioritise life outside of work, thus promoting productivity during their working hours. 

As flexible working supports employees to gain more control over their personal and work lives, it’s no surprise that this can have a huge positive impact on both the mental and physical health of employees.

By promoting a better life-work balance, you’ll have happier, more refreshed workers who are better able to produce a higher standard of work.

3. It Enables Employees To Work More Efficiently 

Another reason why flexible working increases productivity is that it enables employees to work more efficiently.

This comes down to the fact that flexible working allows employees to pick and choose the location of where they work as well as their working hours, meaning that they can work during the hours that they are most productive.

The positive impact this can have is highlighted by a study that found that 77% of those who work remotely a few times a month showed increased productivity, with 30% doing more work in less time. 

It is clear, then, that offering flexible working arrangements within your business, such as hybrid working, or even coworking memberships to your employees can help to boost productivity.

As such, your employees' output will increase without the quality of their work being sacrificed as they’ll be able to work more efficiently.

4. It Reduces Turnover 

Last, but not least, flexible working helps to increase productivity in that it reduces staff turnover.

Considering that ‘87% of people want to work flexibly’, it’s evident that the majority of people prioritise flexible work when searching for a new job due to its various benefits, including lowering burnout, a common problem that leads to high employee turnover.

Despite the increasing number of people searching for flexible working opportunities, only ‘3 in 10 jobs are advertised with flexible working’. This highlights a big opportunity for businesses to capitalise on by creating more roles that have a lower risk of burnout and are thus more sustainable for employees for years to come.

That said, if you can offer flexible working, this helps to set you apart from competitors and boost employee morale and retention. 

The lack of flexible working jobs being advertised, paired with the increasing demand, means that offering flexible working opportunities promotes job satisfaction and helps to meet the ever-growing demand for flexible working. 

Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of how flexible working increases productivity within the workplace. 

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Written by Jemima Thomas for Tramshed Tech.