Remote work trends can vary depending on whom you ask, especially as return-to-office mandates continue across the U.S. A remote worker will likely say they’re more productive and less stressed when working from home. On the other hand, managers often believe remote employees are less efficient and require closer monitoring — ideally in an office setting.
Both viewpoints have merit, but how can we find a solution that benefits both employees and management? It might seem counterintuitive, but consider this: combining a flexible schedule with unlimited paid time off.
- A flexible schedule allows employees to work during the hours that suit them best.
- Unlimited paid time off gives them the freedom to take time off whenever they need it.
As a manager, this might sound like a potential disaster. But placing significant trust in your employees can lead to better work quality and clearer communication within the team.
Flexibility Increases Productivity and Employee Satisfaction
Flexibility, paired with the perk of unlimited paid time off, gives employees a sense of independence and autonomy. When employees can set their own schedules, they’re more likely to produce their best work during the hours that align with their energy levels and personal circumstances.
A dedicated and engaged employee won’t misuse their paid time off or the flexibility they’ve been given, particularly when this benefit contributes to a better work-life balance — something that not all companies can or are willing to offer.
Flexible Schedules Help Avoid Stress and Burnout
Discussions about employee engagement have increased post-pandemic, and for good reason. Employees (and managers as well) who feel disconnected or overworked are more aware that they feel this way, especially after the isolation that sparked more conversations about mental health and well-being.
Flexible schedules make it easier to embrace the unpredictability of daily life and foster healthier habits. The result — decreased stress — is cited by a recent FlexJobs survey as a top health benefit for remote workers, along with:
- Reduced risk of burnout
- Healthier eating habits
- Lessened feelings of anxiety and depression
- Improved sleep quality
- More time for regular exercise
- Enhanced interpersonal relationships
These factors contribute to a better quality of life. So why does meeting these needs at work seem so challenging?
Engage and Include Employees During the Process
A good place to start is looking at how to address work-life needs and acknowledging the pitfalls of a prescribed schedule. Collaborating with your employees to meet their needs is an excellent way to democratize the process. Gathering input from all team members can offer various perspectives and reveal insights that might be easier to implement than expected.
For example, Robert Half, an international organization, has successfully introduced a flexible work philosophy in collaboration with its employees. Managers and employees work together to find the best solution — whether remote, hybrid, or in-office — that meets the needs of the individual, their role, and the organization.
Ultimately, deadlines must be met and managers have the final say. But democratizing the process and including employees from the beginning reduces resistance and fosters a deeper understanding of the decisions made.
The Challenge of Balancing Accountability and Teamwork
The complicated reality is that each employee is different and thrives in various work environments. In a recent Gallup survey, 70% of preventable leavers cited daily management as a core reason for leaving a company. Whether the work environment is hybrid or remote, company culture impacts everyone differently, making clear boundaries essential.
Managers can take several approaches to considering clear boundaries, including surveillance and accountability. But surveillance suggests a lack of trust and tends to demoralize employees, who then experience productivity anxiety. Whether you use screen monitoring software or meticulous time tracking, these tactics rely on fear.
Fear as a motivator has the opposite effect, as employees in a constant state of stress are more likely to resign, take sick days, or struggle to complete tasks. The WHO estimates that productivity lost due to anxiety and depression costs the global economy $1 trillion annually.
By contrast, accountability is multi-faceted and encourages each employee to do their best work within a given deadline. A manager’s responsibility is to ensure employees have the resources and tools they need to succeed. These resources might include clear company policies, meaningful feedback sessions, and straightforward personal and professional development goals.
Although easier said than done, ensuring clarity in the workplace depends on open and honest lines of communication — particularly in a remote work environment.
Asynchronous Collaboration and Beyond
Remote work often spans time zones, making creativity a crucial element of successful team collaboration. Fortunately, today’s technology makes it much easier to communicate before, during, and after employees’ flexible hours.
A few ideas of how different tools can help you stay connected and accountable include:
- Comments and conversations within project management software
- Questions and answers within collaborative documents
- Screen recording software for short tutorials
- Video conferencing for “face-to-face” meetings
Streamlined Communication Depends on Trust
Streamlined communication between remote workers helps eliminate feelings of disconnection and improves team collaboration efficiency. When thinking about streamlining communication, ask yourself: Do you trust the people you hire to work remotely, and do they trust each other?
Without trust, remote teams are likely to fail—regardless of a flexible schedule policy. Building trust requires managers who are engaged in their work and can confidently lead by example.
Team Building Paired with Personal Development
Leading by example, including helping each employee to focus on personal development, can benefit the entire team in the long run.
Investing in your employees’ growth and development shows them that they are trusted and valued. This sense of belonging is invaluable for remote workers, helping them feel secure in their jobs and increasing employee engagement.
A personal development plan aligned with your company culture should consider:
- Short- and long-term goals
- Mechanisms for feedback and review
- Support and resources needed
- Challenges and solutions
Team-building activities can reinforce common themes identified in each personal development plan. For example, if many employees express interest in public relations (PR) in their development plans, you could invite a PR professional to speak to your team. These workshops, or similar team-building activities, allow employees to connect over a shared interest and take action toward their personal development goals.
Set Clear Expectations and Success Metrics Up Front
Setting goals with the intention to work towards them is all well and good, but how can you ensure that they’re actually achieved? Clearly defining the output or “physical” result employees must produce is crucial for a remote company.
Each team member will have their own idea of what a particular task should look like once completed. While each interpretation may be correct, a clear structure serves as a guide to consider all angles.
Creating this framework is especially important to help employees take responsibility for their work. A few points to consider include:
- What needs to be done (provide a detailed outline or previous example if possible)
- Why the task is important, to help employees understand its value
- When it needs to be done, which isn’t necessarily the final deadline but includes bite-sized milestones to help employees pace their work
Setting clear expectations is a process that evolves within a company. Whether you use standard operating procedures or task templates in your project management tool, a clear outline reduces the risk of getting lost in the details.
A Dream Requires Continuous Effort
There’s no sugarcoating it: This approach requires continuous hard work. As trends shift, technology evolves, and roles change accordingly, each part of the process will need adjustments.
Just because major tech companies are forcing employees back to the office or to face redundancy doesn’t mean they’re right. Nearly a third of managers surveyed by Bamboo HR admitted their company’s return-to-office mandate aims to monitor employees. Yet, in the same survey, 22% of human resources professionals said their organization lacks metrics to measure the success of this policy.
Managing employees differently is part of doing business differently.
HubSpot is an excellent example of a company that actively embeds purpose into what they do. Their latest sustainability report shows how they raised over $750,000 for global communities through donations and employee volunteer time.
Where Do We Go from Here?
After looking at all the moving parts needed to balance flexible schedules plus unlimited paid time off with getting work done, is this a manager’s dream or a disaster in the making? We’ll leave the answer up to you, as we’re a little biased, given how much our own company culture has improved since implementing these policies.
If you can start thinking about how to implement flexible work practices to build trust in your organization, you’re well on your way to figuring out the rest.
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