Study finds two-thirds of respondents believed flexible work negatively impacts career progression
By Brian Kreissl
An interesting study recently found that two-thirds of respondents believed flexible work would prevent them from climbing the corporate ladder. The study, completed by recruitment firm Hays and reported on by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), found that while 83 per cent of the 5,400 U.K. professionals surveyed believed flexible working to be an important benefit and 61 per cent believed it helped more women move into senior roles, the results show there is still some stigma surrounding flexible work — at least in many industries and organizations.
Flexible work can include options such as telecommuting, flexible hours, part-time work, job-sharing, freelancing and contract positions. Most U.K. workers have the legal right to request flexible work, and earlier this year the federal government committed to amending the Canada Labour Code so that federally regulated workers would have similar rights.
Such legislation doesn’t mandate that all workers be able to demand flexible work, but it does at least provide that employees have a right to request such work arrangements. Where it is impossible or difficult to accommodate such requests, the employer is required to provide reasons for the refusal.
Obviously, someone working in a manufacturing environment or a retail store would have difficulty arguing for flexible work arrangements. Some jobs simply require that the incumbent be in a certain place at a certain time.
However, for many white collar office jobs, there is no real need for workers to be at their desks from 8:30 to 5:00. Some of these types of jobs could easily be done from home or at an off-site or satellite location.
While there may be an expectation that people are able to answer e-mails and respond to voicemail messages within a reasonable timeframe or be available to attend meetings during office hours, much of this type of work can often be completed wherever and whenever it is convenient for employees.
Companies that offer flexible hours sometimes allow employees to choose their own hours (and sometimes they can work wherever they choose) as long as they are able to attend important meetings or work certain core hours that are required of all employees. That way, people can still contact them in real time. It also means people don’t become “invisible” to their colleagues.
In many ways, flexible work arrangements work well for many people and help to accommodate those with other obligations relating to childcare, eldercare, academic pursuits, second jobs, athletic, philanthropic and social activities and hobbies. They can also help people deal with commuting challenges and help accommodate people with disabilities.
I have previously discussed my own issues with childcare and commuting challenges relating to only having one car. Being able to work somewhat flexible hours and occasionally working from home (as I am doing today) really helps me manage all of my work, academic and family obligations.
However, I wouldn’t necessarily want to work from home every day, and it does seem like certain negative assumptions are sometimes made about those who work from home, arrive to work later or leave earlier than the norm. Some of these issues relate to organizational culture in terms of expectations around working long hours and “face time,” as well as the problem of “invisibility” experienced by many people who work off-site.
The long hours culture
Many industries and professions still have an expectation that people put in long hours. One such example is the legal profession, where billable hours are considered all-important and leaving early or arriving late is frowned upon.
This has a negative impact on people with other obligations beyond work. In particular, the legal industry has a real problem retaining talented women.
‘Face time’ and the problem of invisibility
Many managers and organizations still have an expectation that employees put in a certain amount of “face time” and rely on outdated notions of management centred around command and control methodologies and the direct supervision of workers. This can be particularly problematic for people who work flexible hours or at an off-site location — particularly if they are at all ambitious.
Similarly, people who work from home on a regular basis often find they are “invisible” when it comes to promotions and other considerations such as training and special projects.
Clearly we still have some work to do in order to dispel some outdated stereotypes about people who work flexibly.
