Flexibility is key to modern employment

1
Jul

Flexibility is key to modern employment

Baylor University published a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology that found women who returned to work after giving birth are more likely to stay on the job if they have more control over their work schedules.

The study found that job security and the utilization of a variety of job skills lead to a greater retention of working mothers, while stress on their physical and mental health caused turnover for the same demographic. Dawn S. Carlson, Ph.D., professor of management at Baylor University, said that flexible schedules allow working moms to meet jobs demands while still taking care of their newborns, and having better control over their work environment creates less work-related stress.

Carlson added giving new mothers a sense of job security and attempting to increase the use of their skills for multiple functions can have beneficial outcomes for businesses.

“The results of this study indicate the impact of job characteristics on work-family relations that play a role in the mental and physical health and retention of working mothers as they make the pivotal transition back to work after childbirth,” Carlson said.

Similarly, Portfolio.com reported that remote workers, with a more flexible schedule, must ensure they stay connected to the company to maintain their professional edge. With more people working at home, remote workers are able to stay connected through the use of instant messaging, video conferencing and audio conferencing to stay connected.

The main obstacle to telecommuting is building trust and accountability with the boss and company. The news source found that staying visible, engaged and transparent is important when working remotely.

Jay Gibb, founder of CloudSponge.com, told Portfolio, “If I leave a voicemail, send an email, SMS, or instant message, and I don’t get a response in a reasonable time frame, it’s a bad indicator.”

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