Flextime is Good for Employees' Health, Too
The Find: Flextime has been shown to improve productivity and aid retention; now researchers have found it improves health and reduces absenteeism as well.
- The Source: Recent research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine published in the Psychologist-Manager Journal.
Now, new research from Wake Forest University has added to the case for flexible working by finding other fundamental benefits: fewer absences through illness, improved commitment to work, and a decreased likelihood that employees report health concerns affecting their jobs.
The research focused on more than 3,000 employees of a single pharmaceutical company so more research in other firms and different work environments may be in order. Still, the results are tantalizing for managers worried about reducing absenteeism and improving their teams' health. The Wake Forest researchers note that flexibility has two aspects-- location and schedule-- and suggest that managers looking to develop a culture of flexibility take the common sense steps of offering part-time, remote or flextime options and training supervisors to be sensitive to the demands of workers' home lives.
For those looking for further information on flexible working, Professor Kossek has coauthored a book on the topic: "CEO of Me: Creating a Life that Works in the Flexible Job Age."