Is flexible working something for your organization? Take the test!

Location

Working from a location other than the permanent office. This can be from home or in another office of one's organization. Some companies offer satellite workstations: workstations available to employees other than those who normally work at that location. This allows employees to work at a different location closer to home or after a meeting.

Time

Many organizations make it possible for their employees to choose their own working hours, taking into account certain stem times (for example, "sliding working hours" where you can start between 8 and 10 am). A completely free choice regarding working hours is not yet supported by a conclusive legal framework (see Law on Workable and Agile Work of 2017).

Work environment

A third component of flexible work is the physical work environment. Flex desks allow employees to be flexible with their own workspace. Desks are cleaned up at the end of the workday and the following morning you can choose another workstation. Possibly these workstations are located in a landscape office and possibly the principles of activity-based working are applied.

A landscape office is an open space that eliminates separate or enclosed desks. "The ideal office environment" does not exist, however; much depends on the specific needs of the employees. For example, an office suitable for 3 to 4 employees can also be part of a flexible work environment.

An activity-based workplace provides space for different types of activities: meeting rooms for consultation, a quiet room (enclosed or not) for concentrated individual work, telephone booths for skype calls or phone calls, a meeting space, etc.

Introducing or further developing flexible work can have numerous potential benefits, both for the organization and the employees. Assuming good and clear agreements are made, the additional flexibility can increase employee motivation and satisfaction. However, introducing flexible work arrangements is not guaranteed to increase employee motivation and well-being. The quality and content of the job remain important indicators of employee motivation, well-being and satisfaction.

In addition, opting for flexible work can also be a sustainable choice: there are fewer cars on the road due to more work from home and the office can be set up for a smaller number of employees. If the organization faces an accessibility problem, being able to work from home from time to time can take a lot of stress away for employees.

Finally, there may also be a practical choice underlying a flexible work policy: for example, a move to another location.

Do you want to explore the possibilities of flexible work for your organization? Does your organization already allow flexible work, but do you want to see how far along the organization is and where there is still potential to expand or improve? This flexwerkscan helps you to understand the potential of flexible work for your organization. The scan also gives you specific advice on how to start or further develop flexible work based on four parts:

1. Potential & approach: How is work organized and what potential can it offer for flexible working? Do employees work from a location other than the office, such as at home, and choose their own working hours?
2. Engagement & support: Are employees and managers involved in implementing flexible working? Who supports them with any questions?
3. Policy guideline: Are agreements set out in an official policy guideline? How do you make expectations to employees clear to everyone?
4. Infrastructure: Suitable infrastructure is an important condition for flexible working. Not only digital, but also a working environment with sufficient opportunities to find each other in a "flexible" office.

Completing the scan takes about ten minutes. Afterwards you will be sent a digital report and you can view your flexiwork scan dashboard online. For each section you will receive concrete advice, tailored to your answers.

Thanks to the partnership between Antwerp Management School, Slim naar Antwerpen and Zuid-Limburg Bereikbaar, the Flexwerkscan has been completely updated, adapted to recent developments.