Flexible work hours may make for happier workers, but they're not for everyone

At the Hamilton, Ont.-based companyMabel'sLabels, employees can startwork when they want andleave when they want.

In fact, if they decideto work from home ortake a three-hour chunk of the day and spend it on personal activities, they can do that, too. There's only one catch: get your work done, or else.

"You've got to meet your goals," saidJulie Cole, a co-founder of the company, which employs 40 people."And peoplesay, 'Well, if peoplearen't meeting theirgoals, will you make them come to the office?' And my answer to that would be no. Ifthey don't meet their goals, they get fired."

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It's all part of the flexible work hourphilosophy, also known as ROWE (Results Only Work Environment), that Mabel's Labels and many other companieshaveembraced.

It's alsoan idea that the federal government recently announced it might implementfor federally regulated workers in sectors such asbanking, telecommunications, broadcasting and transportation. The governmentsaid it will be holding consultations on the issuein the coming weeks.

'Why not extend this to our staff'

The idea is based on givingemployees more flexibility to enable a better work/life balanceand help them work around child care and other family issues or cultural practices.

'Nobody is watchingthe clock. What's valued is their output.- Julie Cole, co-founder, Mabel's Labels

"When Istarted this company with two other women, we found that we were workingat non-traditional times and non-traditional places," Cole said. "So, why are we assuming that everyone works theirbest and most productive way sitting at a desk in a cubiclefrom 9 to5. So we just thought, why not extend this to our staff.

"The thing Ilove most is that nobody is watching what other people are up to. Nobody is watchingthe clock. Nobody is judgingpeoplebywhat time they arrive at work, what time they leave work, because that's not valued. What's valued is their output."

Flexible work hoursare also a way for smaller to mid-sizecompaniesto compete against large corporations for quality workers, said Alison Konrad, a professor of organizational behaviour at Western University's Ivey School of Business on London, Ont.

Konradsaid evidence shows that workerswith flexible work hoursare more satisfied with their job and theiremployer and have a stronger sense of autonomy.

"And that is a very important predictor for well-being in the workplace," she said.

While a system like this might seem ripe for abuse, Konrad said the data shows that given thatfreedom, people will nottake advantage of it.

"Mostly, they don't abuse. Mostly, they find ways to work smarter, and they're more productive," said Konrad.

When employees are happierbecause work hours fit in with their lives,they will feel morevalued, will be more energeticand will want to contribute more, said human resourcesconsultant Antoinette Blunt.

Many businesses and even some governments have bought into that argument.

In 2014, Britain introduced a law allowing all workers to request flexible work hours. Employers aren't legally required to grant the request but must consider it and explain to the employee if they decide to reject the application.

But the flex-work system isn't necessarily right for every employer, and it would be difficult forsome employees to work flexible hours because of the nature of their jobs.

May not be practical for some

For example, flexible work hours may not be practical for abusiness with a customer service areawhere a human being is expected to be available to the public at certain hours of the day.

"You can't say to the personatthe job, 'Well you can start at 7," said Blunt. "Similar to other jobs based on customerservice when people are expected to meet with certain individuals at certain hours."

Employers should consider flexible work hoursas long as they fit within the nature of their business and employees are not required to be present for customers or to collaborate in person with co-workers, Blunt said.

However,there are other possible drawbacks, said Konrad,including the challenges of scheduling and co-ordinatingmeetings when people areworking at scattered times.

Some major companies that had implemented flexible working arrangements, such as Best Buy and Yahoo Inc.,have since reversed thosepolicies, suggestingthatcollaboration and innovation had beensuffering as a result.

Feel more isolated

Research shows that some employees might also feel more isolated with flexible work hours or worried that they might misssomething at the workplace thatcould have helped their career advancement, Konrad said.

An experimentalstudy done at several accounting firmsfound employeeswho asked for flexible hourswere deemed less promotable than those who didn't.

But Konrad and her colleague conducted their ownfield study, following 1,500 employees in Canada over a year, and compared those who had a flexible workaccommodation to those who didn't. Their findingsrevealed thatthose with the more flexible work schedule were actually slightly more likelyto be promoted.

"Over time, this all provides someone with an opportunity to show that,'No, I'm not going to make problems.I'm goingto manage myself.I'mgoingto show you how hardworkingIcan be without anyone looking over my shoulder.I'm going to accomplish mygoals independently and autonomously.' And by demonstrating those qualities, a person shows they are actually ready for promotion," Konrad said.