How to Implement Flexible Work Policies? Proven Methods for Work-Life Balance and Employee Satisfaction

Discover actionable, research-backed strategies for flexible working from experts Peter Woolliams and Fons Trompenaars. Learn how to create effective flexible work policies that enhance productivity, support employee well-being, and address the evolving needs of today’s workforce. Ideal for HR leaders, managers, and organizations seeking to stay ahead in the future of work.

Unlock the full potential of flexible work in your organization-continue reading to explore expert insights, practical frameworks, and real-world examples that will help you build a thriving, future-ready workplace.

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Consultant Fons Trompenaars, PhD, and professor Peter Woolliams, PhD, conducted evidence-based research to explore the pros and cons of flexible work. This practical guide explores why employees value flexible work and why some companies may hesitate to offer flexible work options. The authors’ data-backed insights and illustrative examples demonstrate how companies can mitigate risks associated with remote work, balance employee satisfaction and organizational efficiency, and otherwise leverage flexibility to drive success.

Take-Aways

• Employees’ relationship with work has changed.
• Prioritizing employee well-being enhances productivity.
• Companies should root their flexible work policies in evidence-based research.
• Younger workers seek work-life balance.
• Many organizations remain hesitant to embrace remote work due to cultural norms.
• The technologies that enable flexible work can create new security risks.
• Integration is a solution to the problem of work-life balance.
• Firms must address any competing employer-employee demands.

Summary

Employees’ relationship with work has changed.

Traditionally, people viewed work as central to identity. They spent significant time in the office and formed a sense of self rooted in their jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted this dynamic. Technology reduced the need for many employees to work in a physical office and showed people another way to relate to work. It also increased the sense that balancing work with personal passions was worthwhile — and possible.

“Because work takes up so much of our energy and time, there is a tendency to overestimate its value…”

Flexible work isn’t suitable for everyone, and individuals who lack self-motivation and independence may struggle without direct supervision. Too, certain jobs, such as health care roles and manufacturing work, require workers’ physical presence. Still, employers need to recognize that employee values — including, but not limited to, a better work-life balance — are changing. Embracing flexible work, when possible, can help employers avoid the problem of a disengaged workforce.

Prioritizing employee well-being enhances productivity.

Management approaches have come a long way since the 1880s. In that yesteryear, Frederick Winslow Taylor advocated that companies treat their workers like parts in a machine to boost productivity. Then came the Hawthorne experiments that ran between 1924 and 1932 in a factory in Chicago. Though it took two decades more for anyone to realize it, these experiments showed that worker morale and productivity improved commensurate with management interest in worker well-being.

The idea that it was, in fact, better to treat people like people further developed in the 1960s. Employers began trying initiatives such as job rotation — switching job responsibilities to alleviate boredom — which improved employee work engagement and satisfaction. More modern, pre-pandemic flexible working ideas included job sharing and four-and-a-half day weeks. Post-pandemic employees seek even greater control over when, where, and how they work.

Companies should root their flexible work policies in evidence-based research.

As the world reopens after the pandemic, many companies want employees back in the office. However, these firms often lack solid evidence to support their reasons, instead relying on beliefs about the benefits of in-person work.

Early research, such as Vodafone UK’s “Better Ways of Working” program launched in 2013, showed that offering employees flexibility and autonomy significantly improved productivity, engagement, and cost savings. The program allowed employees to work from home, collaborate via technology, and focus on results rather than hours worked.

“The concept of work-life balance is not just a recent quest.”

While the authors’ research initially took the form of market-research-style surveys, they soon concluded that more comprehensive, evidence-based research was needed to establish best practices for flexible working. Woolliams and Trompenaars developed an app in collaboration with Vodafone that collected data related to four main areas: how companies manage their workers; how workers use technology; where people work; and how processes like team collaboration function. The app asked users to share how their organizations currently operate in these four dimensions and what their ideal would look like.

The data they gathered showed the authors that employees value the ability to manage their own time and choose their work location — from home, in the office, or a hybrid. Many felt they were more productive and less stressed working from home. Key drawbacks to working from home, in particular, included feelings of isolation, increased interruptions when employees lack a designated, private workspace, and difficulty drawing a firm line between work and personal time.

Younger workers seek work-life balance.

Demographic shifts are one factor driving the push for more flexible work options. Gen Z workers prioritize individuality, flexibility, and purpose-driven work over climbing the corporate ladder. They believe a healthy equilibrium between professional duties and their personal lives ensures overall well-being, happiness, and productivity. Thus, they choose to set boundaries between work and personal time, promote self-care, and avoid taking on too many tasks that fall outside their job descriptions. Many gen Z workers have resigned from positions due to rigid work arrangements, lack of career advancement opportunities, or poor work-life balance.

“Generation Z can’t tolerate having to ‘be in the office 9-5’ just because their boss wants them to be.”

Gen Z wants to avoid “presenteeism”: showing up at work even when unwell due to job security concerns or a culture that values presence over productivity. They also dislike the “corridor effect”: when workplace layouts limit interaction between departments, thus hindering communication and collaboration, which stifles innovation and effectiveness. They seek employers that offer a culture of inclusion and diversity, provide opportunities for personal and professional growth, and ensure fair compensation and benefits. For example, gen Z workers want the freedom to work remotely or to have flexible hours — rather than the usual nine to five, Monday through Friday — and prefer companies that align with their values and offer meaningful work.

Many organizations remain hesitant to embrace remote work due to cultural norms.

Effects on job promotion rates, employee well-being, and organizational culture norms influence organizational decisions about flexible work. Some employers might view employees who desire flexible work as lacking commitment or as less productive. Such views potentially limit those employees’ promotion opportunities. Flexible working may reduce the kinds of face-to-face interactions that fuel career advancement.

“Overall, cultural differences can play a significant role in the adoption and effectiveness of flexible working arrangements.”

Flexible working has different effects on work-life balance in various countries. In China, for example, the traditional work culture values long hours. Some tech companies are experimenting with flexible arrangements, but widespread adoption is unlikely due to cultural and logistical challenges. In Russia, flexible work has gained traction mainly in the tech sector, but cultural and infrastructure barriers still exist. Arab countries are experiencing a slow shift toward flexible work, especially in start-ups. Still, standard, office-based work remains dominant due to cultural preferences for face-to-face interactions. In African countries, although flexible working is still uncommon and faces significant logistical and cultural hurdles, the trend has grown among entrepreneurs and start-ups.

The technologies that enable flexible work can create new security risks.

Technology has significantly influenced flexible working options by enabling remote work and enhancing collaboration through Zoom, Slack, and other digital platforms. Yet it also introduces new security challenges for organizations. For example, during the rapid shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies lacked policies for using personal computers for work. They were, therefore, forced to contend with unauthorized access attempts and malware infections.

“Flexible working can be well-suited to individuals with certain personality traits and work styles.”

Organizations must develop guidelines and protocols to manage employee access and ensure data protection to mitigate these risks. For example, organizations may require employees to use company-provided devices or follow strict security protocols, such as VPNs and up-to-date antivirus software.

Integration is a solution to the problem of work-life balance.

While the term work-life balance may seem to imply workers should keep their professional and personal lives entirely separate, attempting to do this results, most often, in dissatisfaction in both arenas. Adopting a “work-life integration model” is a better way to think about and achieve work-life balance.

“Competing demands of work versus life can only be resolved if the work helps you to raise the quality of other life spheres and when non-work-related activities can help you enrich work.”

In cultures with strong family ties, work and personal life integrate naturally — family businesses, for example. Achieving this integrated solution in organizations where it does not manifest naturally requires going beyond surface-level compromises, like allowing employees to work from home two days per week. It requires thinking about how both the employer and employee experience can be improved through flexible work.

Firms must address any competing employer-employee demands.

Companies need a new, evidence-based framework to guide decisions about flexible work. This framework should be rooted in understanding the benefits of flexible working, such as improved work-life balance, reduced stress, and increased productivity. It should also provide criteria for evaluating flexible work requests, ensuring decisions based on objective analysis rather than subjective beliefs or wishful thinking. By developing and implementing such a framework, organizations can create environments that support employee well-being and organizational goals and foster a more effective and satisfying work-life balance.

“We need to adopt what we term ‘through-through’ thinking. At the meta-level, this means asking the question, ‘How can we, through working flexibly, deliver the needs of the employer more effectively AND through delivering the needs of the employer, satisfy the needs of the employee further?”

To accomplish the integration goal and build a practical flexible work framework, organizations must reconcile conflicts between their expectations or norms and those of their workers. For example, an organization might have a “universalist” culture, demanding adherence to specific standards, like in-office work, regardless of circumstances. Their employees, meanwhile, might have a more “particularistic” approach, thinking it reasonable to allow work-from-home during snowstorms, for instance. Companies with “individualistic” employees must establish policies and procedures to balance that desire for personal autonomy with team cohesion — ensuring that self-motivated remote workers contribute effectively to team goals.

Many highly relational people and cultures see their work in a broader, often personal context. In contrast, others tend to see their work and any interpersonal relationships as existing in separate spheres. Similarly, some workplaces and employees may feel uncomfortable with emotional openness, while others may thrive in an emotionally demonstrative environment. Some organizations and employees prioritize hierarchical markers like job titles (“who you are”), which may matter little to results-focused employers or workers driven by achieving goals — the most sales in a given month, for example. Employers and employees may also differ in how they think about and structure their time — working on one thing at a time versus multitasking, for example, or thinking one month ahead versus thinking five years down the line. Some workers — and employers — may be more proactive in the face of challenges and others, more reactive.

Looking ahead, flexible work will likely become more widespread, particularly hybrid work arrangements. This shift has the benefit of pushing employers to focus more on employee well-being and the results people generate rather than the number of hours people work in the office or other less scientific productivity measures. However, these changes can only happen when organizations and employees proactively address competing demands and ensure a setup that benefits all.

About the Authors

Peter Woolliams, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of International Management at Anglia Ruskin Cambridge (UK). Fons Trompenaars, PhD, is director of Trompenaars Hampden-Turner (THT) Consulting.