No free lunch: Employers want something in return for flexible work

Employers are increasingly letting their employees work flexibly, but new research suggests that it’s no charity case.

Seventy-one per cent of employers expect their employees to give something in return for flexible benefits like alternate hours or hybrid work arrangements, according to new research from Robert Half. Spending time in the office is the most desired way for employees to fulfil their side of the bargain.

The flexible benefits

The most common flexible benefits offered by Australian employers were found to be:

1. Flexible work hours compared to the traditional 9am–5pm (49 per cent)
2. Access to additional leave days, such as mental health days (45 per cent)
3. Hybrid working conditions to work from home three or more days a week (44 per cent)
4. Hybrid working conditions allowing staff to choose when they come into the office (42 per cent)

The survey also found that some employers are looking to increase their offerings to allow for a shorter work week. Thirty-seven per cent of businesses plan to enable staff to work a four-day week, requiring the same number of total hours as would have been achieved in five days, while thirty-five per cent plan to allow their staff to work nine of 10 days, with the same total hours.

No free lunch

There’s no free lunch, the data suggests, when it comes to flexible work arrangements as employers look for ways to be compensated. Of the 71 per cent of employers who expect something in return, the following were the most common ways for employees to repay their employers:

1. Working from the office four or five days per week (37 per cent)
2. Requiring staff to work from the office more often than they currently do (25 per cent)
3. Lower salary than offered for a traditional working week (23 per cent)

“Flexibility in the workplace unlocks new doors, but not always without giving something up. Employers are re-establishing their ‘normality’ and are rethinking their policies around flexible work,” said Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half.

While it might be fair to expect employees to give something in return for a more flexible arrangement, some would disagree with the characterisation of flexible work as a sacrifice on the part of the employer.

In relation to the four-day work week, Charlotte Rush, head of product development at Inventium, said: “It’s probably one of the most significant things that a leader of an organisation could do to attract great staff and also experience the benefits of better wellbeing and productivity.”

That said, it is hardly surprising that employers are asking for measures to ensure employees are not abusing the freedoms of flexible work.

“Business leaders are striving to find a harmonious middle ground between staff autonomy and the face-to-face contact they have with employees,” said Ms Gorton.

“If trade-offs are made for having flexible benefits, like working a compressed work week or adjusting hours throughout the day to cater to personal commitments, something needs to balance that compromise if businesses want workers back in the office more often.”

“Providing reasons that are framed with purposeful attendance is one way to make commuting into the office worthwhile. For example, some companies are offering training and development opportunities to upskill and reskill, giving the office environment a real sense of purpose while also satisfying staff desires to keep pace with change,” added Ms Gorton.

Nick Wilson

Nick Wilson is a journalist with HR Leader. With a background in environmental law and communications consultancy, Nick has a passion for language and fact-driven storytelling.