Companies across the United States are experiencing what has been dubbed the “Great Resignation.” Employees are seeking workplaces that value them and offer flexibility throughout their employment, as well as listen to their needs and wants.  An issue that many businesses face is the variety of needs from their employees, which can make fostering that adaptable and responsive work environment difficult, to say in the least.

Some employees want to go back to the office. Some want to stay home. Some want a little bit of both. As an employer, it is your job to listen and understand the whys behind their choices. Requiring employees that want to stay home to work in the office only lands you in a state of low employee morale and even high turnover. In fact, 40% of employees said they might quit their jobs this year if they do not like the approach their employers took to return to the office.

Employee Expectations are Changing

Employee expectations are changing. Since 2020, many employees have discovered the freedom that comes with working from home, and it shows: over 70% of workers want flexible remote work options to continue. That being said, employees (versus their business leader counterparts) are working harder than ever and suffering for it. With the digitalization of the workplace comes a barrage of communications: 62% of calls and meetings are unscheduled or conducted ad hoc. The intensity of the workday has increased, and while productivity has not suffered, the employees’ wellbeing has: 54% feel overworked, and 39% feel exhausted. This is not a pathway that ends in success.

By building meaningful connections with your team, you can ensure that they feel a sense of purpose and valued. Listening to their wants, their needs, and their struggles can enhance not only their work life, but also their home life as they place well-needed boundaries and regain their sense of self. Over time, collaboration between teams (not just your own) has shrunk, leaving employees feeling isolated and inter-department communication became more difficult.

Hybrid and Remote Working

Give employees the understanding that we are all essentially the guinea pigs of hybrid work right now. While remote working wasn’t unheard of prior to the pandemic, it certainly was not the norm. We were all thrown into this brand new world of remote opportunities. By finally ripping off the work-from-home band aid from many businesses, employees have gathered a sense of where they are most productive, the most comfortable, and the happiest. By trusting employees to make the choice for themselves to either stay home or come in to the office (or a hybrid of both), you can empower them to live better, healthier, and happier lives. Additionally, you foster a work culture of value and loyalty: employees that are happy and satisfied with their work-life balance want your company to succeed.

The world we live in, the employees we work with, and the businesses we own all necessitate flexibility. By choosing an employee time system that allows them to log their work from literally anywhere, companies can promote a sense of wellbeing, care, and trust. LightWork Time supports remote, in office, and hybrid employees by giving them the option to keep track of their time no matter where they choose to work.

For more information on how Net at Work can help your company enable a next generation HCM to address flexibility in your organization contact us or speak with your Net at Work Account Manager.