Flexible working arrangements in a post-COVID world

COVID-19 gave many of us the experience of working from home full time, with around 700,000 New Zealanders trading in the office for a desk in their own home over lockdown. There’s been a lot of talk about how flexible working would be the norm once lockdown was over. But Post-COVID, not all workplaces are continuing to embrace flexible working practices or implementing them consistently.

Flexible working can refer to part time hours, staggered hours (different start and finish times) or flexitime; working in the way you want, such as outside the office. The ‘Survey of Working Life’ in 2018 by Stats NZ, completed well before the life-changing experience of COVID, found that New Zealanders had greater job satisfaction and work life balance if they had flexible work hours.

But how does flexible working play out in practice? Lately, I’ve been hearing of inconsistent practices within the same workplace; flexible working dependent on managers and how they perceive it. Other workplaces say they’re all about flexible working, but when it comes down to it, staff are still expected in the office most days of the week. Or employees are given a finger-wagging when they want to work from home or shuffle hours to take care of personal matters.

This article cites that senior leadership must demonstrate flexible work themselves, in order for it to be effective. If managers don’t condone flexi working or are working insane hours, employees won’t feel comfortable with leaving early or working differently. Differences in attitudes can create inequity within organisations too – with some people given special dispensation to work from home more days a week than others. We need organisations to be ‘reason neutral’ – aka, not have excuses for why certain people get flexibility over others. A friend was able to have flexible working recently to look after her sick pet, which would be seen as equally valid as a parent wanting more time at the end of the day to spend with their child.

Then there’s the possible stigmatisation of working from home. Does it create inequalities when some people are always in the office and perceived as being more hard-working; when in fact working from home has been shown to be more productive?

For me, having flexibility is a no-brainer. It saves time on commuting, it means I can make appointments or pick up groceries during the week instead of on weekends. It means increased productivity, and better mental health. 

 “I like not having to commute and I find I have more energy at the end of the week,” my friend who works in government says of her flexible working arrangements – and I completely agree. Not having to commute, and being able to walk to work, has been shown to have the same feelings of wellness and the dopamine-rush equivalent to falling in love. It’s even better if you’re walking from your bed to your office wearing your fluffy slippers.

I’d really like to see workplaces fully embrace flexible working: give employees the full scope of choice of hours and location, if it is possible. And crucially, make sure it’s consistent within organisations.

From government to small business, what changes has your employer made? Are they embracing flexible working, or not? How has flexible working made a difference to your life – in a positive or negative way?