Today's economy may make providing large bonuses unrealistic for many organizations, yet employers can provide a benefit most employees want and need: job flexibility. Job flexibility is more than a perk. It's a way to cut absences and keep employees committed.

According to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, "Workers who reported increased work flexibility from one year to the next also had fewer absences for illness and improved job commitment."

In the recently published study, based on a health survey involving 3,193 employees of a large multinational pharmaceutical company, workplace flexibility refers to workers' ability to vary where, when and how long job-related work is performed. There are two main types of flexibility: location (such as telecommuting) and schedule (such as flextime and job sharing).

The study provides evidence that flexibility is associated with health or well-being over time.

Results show that an increase in perceived flexibility was associated with a decrease in sickness absences and work-related injury as well as an improvement in employees' job commitment. Decreases in perceived flexibility over the year were associated with a significant increase in impairment and reduced job commitment, but had little impact on absence.

"For managers, the results suggest that implementing flexible work arrangements can contribute to the bottom line," says Joseph G. Grzywacz, Ph.D., senior author and an associate professor of family medicine.

"These results strengthen the evidence suggesting that programs and policies that promote flexibility in the workplace may have beneficial health effects for workers," he continues.

Grzywacz and co-author Patrick R. Casey say there are ways to create a culture of flexibility: "Offer various alternative work arrangements."

The study's results suggest companies consider part-time, remote and flextime options — in addition managers and supervisors supporting workers' lives outside the workplace — to create a culture of flexibility.

The recently published Wake Forest University report echoes the advice offered by Boston College's Sloan Work and Family Research Network. It notes that flexibility leads to organizational and employee benefits such as:

• Less absenteeism and employee turnover (for employers);

• Less stress (for employees);

• Lower health care costs (for employers);

• Reduction of work/life balance conflict (for employees);

• Increased employee commitment, performance and productivity (for employers);

• Provides more control over one's work schedule (for employees);

• Makes the firm more attractive to top talent (for employers); and

• Allows time off in small increments (1 hour, 1/2 day) instead of a full day (for employees and employers).

Although these accepted benefits of job flexibility have gained acceptance in many larger firms and some midsize companies, it may be daunting for small businesses. When few people with widely varying skills form a small firm, cross training becomes more difficult than it is in larger organizations where many people have similar skills and knowledge.

Has your business cross-trained employees to permit schedule flexibility? If so, other than making for long days for those remaining at work, has this worked well?

Resources

Workplace Flexibility Associated with Reduced Absences and Improved Job Commitment
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, April 25, 2008

How Does Workplace Flexibility Impact Employee Health
by Judi Casey
Boston College's Sloan Work and Family Research Network

Workplace Flexibility and the Changing Nature of Work: An Introduction
by Ali Dastmalcian and Paul Blyton
Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, March 2001

How to Run on Fumes
by Maureen Farrell
Forbes.com, April 24, 2008