Employers more open to flexibility, report finds
A study by executive search firm Jack Hammer has revealed that companies are increasingly warming to the idea of remote working as a measure to increase employees’ wellbeing
and productivity.
The survey polled human resources directors from 28 major companies across various industries including fintech, financial services, health, education, retail, media, manufacturing,
and the nongovernmental sector.
The study found that the most popular “new ways of working” reported by South African companies polled included 54% of companies favouring remote working solutions or flexible working hours, while 36% favoured purpose-designed workplaces, including pause and rest areas, sleeping pods, ergonomic furniture and green spaces.
Advaita Naidoo, COO at Jack Hammer, said that the trend globally is for companies’ talent retention strategies to look beyond mere financial incentive, and to implement measures that ensure employee buy-in and engagement as a result of the focus on their wellbeing. This is being witnessed by an increase the employment of outsourced or contract works, in the UK for example and the growth in the service sector supporting such operations, such as PAYE Umbrella companies.
“We were, therefore interested to see how South African companies fare in this regard, and to find out what measures have been introduced in local workplaces,” said Naidoo. “What is clear, however, is that companies, regardless of established policy and practices which are often decades-old, should at the very least start thinking in that direction if they are to keep up with the changing world of work and the work-life approach of new generations of workers.”
Other interventions, which are at the beginning stages of being introduced locally, include:
• relaxed dress codes;
• extended/non-traditional leave policies;
• international secondments;
• study options for employee and families;
• sabbaticals; and
• on-site childcare.
“Companies are really starting to take on board the importance of being outcome rather than output- and process- driven, and the fact is that treating employees like adults actually empowers them, leading to an increase in engagement and productivity,” said Naidoo.
Separate research by the International Labour Organisation found evidence that reducing full-time working hours, combined with basic guarantees regarding minimum working hours for part-time workers, can lead to positive outcomes for workers, enterprises and society as a whole.
By Kabelo Khumalo
