Flexible Work Is Multi-Generational, Gender Neutral and Good for Business

Guest blog post by:  Karen Corday, Information Services Specialist, Sloan Work and Family Research Network of Boston College

Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection asked me to join her in speaking at the first in a series of teleconferences from Ashley Acker of Work Style Design: Flexible Work: Stretchy Strategies for Worn Out Work. Leanne’s topic was Flexible Work: Not Just About Mommies; I shared and discussed some research on the use of flexible work by older and younger workers as well as return on investment for businesses using flexible work schedules.

In a 2007 survey by Ranstad Work Solutions, 76% of the Mature workers surveyed, born between 1900 and 1945, agreed that “Freedom to set own hours if work gets done” was appealing to them. In this survey, 74% of Boomers, 73% of Gen X, and 63% of Gen Y agreed, making Mature workers the most enthusiastic about flexible work. Furthermore, according to the 2001 Current Population Survey, 31.2% of workers aged 65 and up used flexible schedules for their primary jobs, which is nearly identical to the percentage of workers aged 25 to 34 using flexible schedules, and greater than the number of Older Gen X and Boomers using them. That data is nearly 8 years old now; older workers have been working flexibly for several years now along with workers of all ages.

Phased retirement has become a popular option for older workers, who often want to decrease their work hours and responsibilities gradually, rather than just abruptly stop working at the age of 65. According to a 2005 survey from AARP, 78% of the workers who expressed interest in a phased retirement program said the ability of this benefit would encourage them to work past retirement age. This is not just a “nice thing to do” for older workers; it cuts down on turnover costs and facilitates knowledge transfer from seasoned employees to younger workers.

Speaking of younger workers, a 2007-2008 survey by the Sloan Center on Aging & Work found that access to flexibility was on of the main drivers of engagement among Gen Y workers. Engagement refers to an employee’s connection with work that motivates them to work with “excellence,” as opposed to just getting the job done.

In 2008, PriceWaterhouseCoopers surveyed over 4,200 recent university graduates from around the world who either worked for or were about to work for them. They found that while only 3% of respondents expected to work mainly at home, 66% expected to work regular office hours with some flexible working. Keep in mind that presumably most of these workers do not yet have family responsibilities competing with their work responsibilities; they see flexible work as the way in which they want to conduct their working lives from the beginnings of their careers.

Several studies have discussed the return on investment that can result from flexible work options and other family-friendly benefits. A 2000 study by the Boston College Center for Work & Family surveyed 6 large corporations and found that 70% of managers and 87% of employees reported that working a flexible arrangement had a positive impact on productivity. Similar percentages reported positive impacts on quality of work and employee retention.

In the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce, 73% of employees with high availability of flexible work arrangements reported a high likelihood that they would stay with their current employer for the next year. Retaining employees translates to saving money on turnover-related costs. In a 2007 survey for Corporate Voices for Working Families, 150 senior-level executives from large corporations reported by a 9-to-1 ration that flexible work strategies had a positive effect on helping organizations reach their business goals.

FlexPaths published a report in which they interviewed executives from several organizations to establish flexibility as a human capital strategy, Real-life examples of return on investment include:
•    Ernst & Young estimated a savings of $17 million in turnover-related costs during 1997-1998, which they attribute to flexible work arrangements and a work culture that encourages both work and personal success. Ernst & Young also encourages virtual work and was able to eliminate 1 million of the 7 million square feet it rents nationwide.
•    Corning’s employee turnover numbers were cut in half after they adopted family-friendly policies such as more part-time work and job-sharing opportunities, saving them $2 million in turnover costs.
•    Aetna began allowing part-time return after family leave, saved $1 million a year in turnover costs, and cut their attrition rate by 50% over five years.

For more information on these topics, please see the Sloan Work and Family Research Network’s Topic Pages on:

•    Older Workers
•    Phased Retirement
•    Generation X/ Generation Y
•    Return on Investment

We also have several Work Flexibility Case Studies of companies that have successfully implemented flexibility into their policies and cultures.

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Here is the contact information for all the speakers on the 5/11 Teleseminar along with links referenced: