According to research by Global Workplace Analytics, a typical business can reportedly save $11,000 annually per employee by allowing them to work at home 50% of the time.

And because of this, as you might expect, flexible working is being adopted by an increasing number of workplaces. Employees get a better work-life balance, and empowering them to manage their workload has a lot of potential attractions as well.

Flexibility does present its challenges, though: from making it harder to manage employees, to hindering teamwork and developing a company culture.

So what are the main advantages and disadvantages of flexible working?

Pros

• Flexible working can create happier, loyal and more productive employees—which benefits both staff and employers. It will also be likely to reduce sick days
• It can help attract talented employees to work for your company
• Businesses can potentially save costs on permanent desk space and other associated office expenses
• Employees can save on commuting time, costs, and possibly work outside of regular office hours if required

Cons

• Employers may find it difficult to manage performance and monitor the work being performed by flexible employees
• Lack of contact between employees can limit the sense of a team, the exchange of ideas, and the building of a shared and profitable company culture.
• Organizing meetings and scheduling events with flexible employees can prove challenging
• It may be harder to give training or promotion opportunities to flexible workers.

How to manage flexible workers

One of the biggest challenges for employers is managing their flexible workers. With traditionally more limited oversight, managers can be wary of being able to keep an eye on their flexible teams.

One of the best ways to overcome these issues is to use employee monitoring software. This software lets you see what your employees are up to you can install it remotely from the cloud and onto flexible workers devices.

The platform is accurately able to monitor what applications and websites employees are using; it can also record the times when they are being used, giving a very accurate picture of both when flexible employees are working and what they’re working on.

Over to you

Does your business have a flexible working policy? If so, do you feel it’s lived up to the hype?

Let us know in the comments!