Advantages and Challenges of Flexible Work

Many employees now prioritize flexibility when considering job opportunities.  Flexible work includes remote work, compressed workweeks, shiftwork, job sharing, flextime and part-time schedules. Prior to integrating flexibility, companies should evaluate several factors to ensure alignment with long-term business goals.

Advantages for Employers:

Employee Satisfaction: Balancing professional and personal lives promotes higher job satisfaction, improved morale, and retention rates.

Productivity: Employees are enabled to work during their most productive hours and where they feel most comfortable leading to increased productivity.

Broadening The Talent Pool: Remote positions remove the geographic boundaries from the available talent.

Cost Savings: Reducing overhead costs associated with office space, utilities, and operational expenses.

Challenges for Employers:

Communication: Different working hours, technical issues, and additional cost for communication tools.

Security: Implementation of robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard company data.

Performance Monitoring: Establishing clear performance metrics and additional technology to track productivity.

Work-Life Boundaries: Creating guidelines for work hours and promoting a healthy work-life balance.

Team Cohesion: Promoting a remote friendly culture through virtual team building and regular check-ins.

Legal Concerns:

Employers must be mindful of potential legal consequences when implementing flexible work arrangements. Remote work may cause compliance issues with state laws if an employee operates from a different state than the designated office. Legal considerations include anti-discrimination regulations, wage and hour laws, overtime provisions, exemptions, meal break requirements, sick leave entitlements, paid family and medical leave policies, workers’ compensation obligations, as well as wage payment and deduction regulations.

Employers should ensure company handbook policies are current and aligned with flexible work practices and state specific regulations. If you wish to revise your company handbook or have inquiries regarding the legal implications of flexible work arrangements, please contact Rimon Partner, David Mahoney or Human Capital Business Advisor, Alyssa Murphy.

For more information, watch the recording of our program, “The Law and Remote Workers: What Companies Need to Know” 

This summary is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship with Rimon, P.C. or its affiliates.