A survey conducted in Singapore this year has found that management support is crucial for organizations that are looking to implement flexible work arrangements (FWAs).
Of the respondents who answered a question on their motivational factors for doing so, 32% cited strong support from their management as a top factor.
Overall, however, talent attraction and retention topped the list — with 37% of the respondents indicating it as a motivational factor.
Key findings from the survey include:
- 83% of the respondents have a flexible work policy in place.
- Of those who have a flexible work policy in place, the majority (71%) have an FWA that allows them to work from home some days of the week, while about 12% could work from home every day.
- The top reasons why some companies don’t have a work-from-home policy in place are unsupportive management, difficulty in managing employees’ requests for more ‘work from home’ days, and the nature of their work not being suitable for such an arrangement.
- The top challenges organizations faced when it came to implementing a work-from-home policy were the suitability of job roles for working from home, setting measurable key performance indicators, and equipping employees with the necessary infrastructure to work from home successfully.
- The most common FWAs in place are work-from-home, staggered time, compressed work schedule, phasing in or out, and job sharing.
- The top 3 industries with FWAs are ICT, manufacturing, and professional/ scientific/ technical activities.
The findings of the survey suggest that management support is crucial for organisations that are looking to implement FWAs. FWAs can offer a number of benefits to both employers and employees, including increased employee satisfaction, retention, and attraction, as well as increased productivity.
