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Is ‘Flexible Working’ Working For You?

Resumed office life in recent months? If yes, how are your happiness levels? Maybe dealing with dirty cups in the staff kitchen or fighting for a seat on public transport is bringing you down.  Or maybe you’re enjoying face-to-face meetings and Friday drinks with colleagues again.

A new survey shows if you’re getting to pick the days you don the corporate clothing you’re more likely to be grinning from ear to ear.

But if you’re expected to front up to the office on particular days your smile is probably not quite so wide.

As the second wave of experimentation with flexible working in the post-pandemic world emerges, some are riding it better than others.

According to a recent survey of more than 1400 knowledge workers, the proportion of employees working flexibly has almost doubled since the emergence of COVID-19. There are now 54 per cent of workers working flexibly compared with 28 per cent pre-pandemic.

Less than a quarter of workers (22.9 per cent) have returned to the five days a week commute, the survey found.

Another 23.1 per cent of full-time workers were working remotely.

As employers reopened office doors, three ways of working flexibly have emerged.

There are those that get to choose which days they front up to the office (15.4 per cent); those that are required to be there for a set number of hours (13.1 per cent); and those that are required to be there on particular days set by the employer (15.6 per cent).

The remaining 9.9 per cent might have other combinations of hybrid arrangements such as having one fixed day in the office and another two days at the worker’s choice.

Not surprisingly, the survey findings show the greater choice employees have over their flexible working arrangements the happier they feel.
Of those that have complete flexibility to pick and mix their work arrangements 94 per cent reported either being happy or very happy. This compares with 88.5 per cent of those working remotely full-time.

And the figure drops to 70.6 per cent among those who are back in the office full-time.

It’s easy to see why happiness levels are so high when you consider the knock-on effects of working flexibly.

Almost one third of workers (30. 2 per cent) said they now have a better work-life balance than they did two years ago. Less than one in 10 thought the scales had tilted against them, worsening their work-life balance.

More than one in four (27.4 per cent) said they had more time to devote to their health and wellness.

Others reported it was easier to juggle child-rearing arrangements for their school-age children (9 per cent) or pre-schoolers (6 per cent).

Slotting in daily exercise or sport became easier (as reported by 8 per cent) and 5 per cent found it easier to manage study or education.

When you look at the overall impact it’s no wonder people designing their own work arrangements have a smile on their dial.