Many have heard about “Free-dress Friday”, the informal or relaxed gown code noticed by some workplaces on the finish of the week.
Fewer have heard about “Flex Fridays”, the newest development doing the office rounds.
As organisations experiment with methods to retain workers and entice new ones, providing a flex day may maintain some promise. Although Flex Fridays — typically known as Free Fridays — means various things in several workplaces, the idea is underpinned by a need to provide workers some management over how they spend the final day of the standard working week.
The commonest utility of Flex Fridays is a day freed from obligatory conferences or check-ins, giving workers a chance to finish venture work, clear emails or undertake skilled studying.
There can also be a model of Flex Fridays that permits workers to decide on to work in a location of their alternative.
Some employers take Flex Fridays to a fair increased degree.
In a transfer not too dissimilar to a four-day working week, workers are given a alternative as to whether or not they work or wish to take the time without work.
One variation of the Flex Friday theme is that workers are given Friday afternoon solely — not the total day — to do their very own factor.
Other employers supply a extra conservative strategy by providing flex days on a semi-regular foundation: maybe fortnightly, month-to-month or quarterly.
Depending on which mannequin of Flex Friday is chosen, workers argue the advantages embody a day free from interruptions to permit them to interact in “deep work”, private time to refuel and get errands ticked off, the chance to degree up on expertise, and a much less tense begin to the weekend.
Employers who help Flex Fridays preserve most workers can handle their time in a manner that’s finest for them.
They argue that when workers are given the liberty to handle their schedules in a manner that fits them finest, all the organisation advantages.
Further, they declare Flex Fridays can improve worker morale, enhance productiveness and construct higher loyalty to the organisation.
Some credit score Flex Fridays with lowering absenteeism, whereas different bosses argue the day is a lift to variety, fairness, inclusion and belonging.
Many see Flex Fridays as a manner of signalling to potential workers that their firm is obsessed with offering an enhanced worker expertise.
The commonest utility of Flex Fridays is a day freed from obligatory conferences or check-ins, giving workers a chance to finish venture work, clear emails or undertake skilled studying.
Flex Fridays is not going to swimsuit each office, notably those who require front-of-house workers to be on obligation always.
And some bosses are rightfully reluctant to supply their staff a flex day for concern everybody will take the time without work work, creating working challenges for the office.
Flex Fridays is actually not the office norm.
However, the idea is catching on quick and represents one other instrument within the equipment of these employers searching for to offer an improved expertise for his or her staff.
And if Fridays don’t swimsuit, there’s at all times the choice to introduce Malleable Mondays, Tailorable Tuesdays, Wriggle Wednesdays, and even Twistable Thursdays.
For additional insights and experience on present office subjects go to AIM WA’s Workplace Conversations
Professor Gary Martin is chief government of the Australian Institute of Management WA
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
