More employers allowing staff work flexibility, finds Families and Work Institute study

by Shane Henson — May 9, 2012—The 40-hour-and-counting work week that finds most professionals seated at their desks from at least nine to five may be evolving to allow for more flexibility and ultimately more effectiveness. The 2012 National Study of Employers report, designed and conducted by the Families and Work Institute (FWI) and released jointly by FWI and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), has found that employers are increasing employees’ options for managing when and where they work, while reducing some options that affect how much they work.

First conducted by FWI in 1998, the National Study of Employers is said to be the most comprehensive and far-reaching study of the practices, policies, programs and benefits provided by U.S. employers to address the changing needs of today’s workforce and workplace, including workplace flexibility, health care and economic security benefits, care-giving leave and elder care assistance.

According to the FWI, the 2012 study found that some of the most surprising findings have been around changes in provisions of workplace flexibility. Significantly more employers are allowing at least some employees to:

  • Use flex time and periodically change starting and quitting times within some range of hours (66 % in 2005 to 77 % in 2012);
  • Take time off during the workday to attend to important family or personal needs without loss of pay (77% in 2005 to 87% in 2012);
  • Work some of their regular paid hours at home on an occasional basis (34% in 2005 to 63% in 2012); and/or
  • Have control over their paid and unpaid overtime hours (28% in 2005 to 44% in 2012).

However, opportunities to work a reduced schedule or take extended leaves away from work have declined. Significant decreases were found in employers allowing at least some of their employees to:

  • Return to work gradually after childbirth or adoption (86% in 2005 to 73% in 2012);
  • Take a career break for personal or family responsibilities (73% in 2005 to 52% in 2012); or
  • Move from full-time to part-time work and back again while remaining in the same position or level (54% in 2005 to 41% in 2012).

“It seems that employers are dealing with the lingering economic instability by trying to accomplish more with fewer people,” said Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of FWI and an author of the study. “Most of the gains allow employees to work longer hours or adjust those hours to care for their personal and family responsibilities while getting their work done. Although some may have expected employers to cut back on flexibility entirely during this economic downturn, we are seeing employers leverage flexibility as they look toward the future.”