Why flexible working arrangements are under-utilised

Over half of employers* believe that flexible working arrangements are a key factor in attracting and retaining employees.

And the employees agree - in fact well over half do.*

But do over half of your employees actually take advantage of the flexible arrangements you offer? Is it even close to the percentage that say they value it?

Ever wondered why that is the case?

It's because they can't afford to. Employees ideally want to work less while their children are young and have a sense of balance between work and life but they are committed to lifestyles that require full time incomes to sustain.

This is illustrated in the results of the 2011 MetLife Study of International Employee Benefits Trends:

The MetLife study agrees that over one-third of employees want more time off to spend with their family. But 45% are concerned about having enough money to make ends meet.

That begs the question: are they still working for you because they want to, or because they can't afford not to?

Financially stressed people don't make engaged, productive employees.

What to do

As an employer instead of throwing pay rises at your team that just fan the flames, consider teaching them how to get a more fulfilling lifestyle out of the money they have.

For example: host an in house series of my DIY Wealth Creation for Busy People course.


* Source: Mercer Benefits Outside the Square, 2008