Matt Haney’s Post

💻 When is working from home good for workers? 🏡 📰 Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the benefits and risks of working from home have been much discussed. WZB fellow Erin Kelly, Duanyi Yang, Laura D. Kubzansky and Lisa Berkman have studied how remote work affects the psychological well-being of workers outside the unusual context of a pandemic. Their results show that outcomes differ, but are generally worse for women.   📊 Based on survey data of German employees in the mid-2010s, their study draws a mixed picture: Distinguishing between working from home during regular working hours ("replacement work-from-home"), and outside regular working hours ("extension work-from-home"), the authors find more benefits for workers in the first category and more risks in the latter. These risks are predominantly born by women.   🕔 Workers doing replacement work-from-home report higher well-being and job satisfaction than workers in a traditional workplace, while workers doing extension work-from-home show lower well-being and higher intentions of leaving one's job. Both types of remote work are associated with higher conflict between work and family life, but more so extension work-from-home.   🚺 Women are more affected by these negative effects: In particular, they are more affected by conflicts between work and family life, and report significantly worse well-being in connection with extension work-from-home. 💡 The study shows: Whether working from home is good for workers depends on the conditions in which this work happens. The authors suggest paying attention to these conditions to ensure better, more equitable outcomes for workers. Red the full study "Working from Home and Worker Well-being: New Evidence from Germany" here 👉 https://lnkd.in/etkrupZR MIT Sloan School of Management Cornell University ILR School Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cornell University Harvard University

Are you giving your employees enough time to recharge? In an era of constant connectivity, American workers struggle to disconnect from work. Edward J. Beltran, CEO of Pulse by Fierce, explores how employers can combat #burnout and promote #wellbeing. Read now - https://lnkd.in/dWpCEeCn

Millions of people cannot access working opportunities because of the lack of flexible working options. I was one of those people before starting my own business. I found it more than challenging seeking employment when I became a parent and a caregiver several years ago. The barriers into employment are still too high for many people because of the rigid working routines being offered by employers. Recently, Pregnant Then Screwed spoke to 260 HR Managers about flexible working. '42% of HR managers told us they aren’t currently tracking the success of the flexible/hybrid working policies in their workplace. Flexible working is about adjusting the working environment or hours to enable people to work around their personal constraints and preferences.' A huge challenge we currently face is that companies aren't tracking the success of flexible working policies. This makes me wonder why. Perhaps leaders are unsure of how to do this? Most jobseekers will expect proper flexible working options when searching for a new role in 2024. It's up to the companies & leaders of the world to make flexible working work for all. Flexible working isn't a job perk, it's a required way of working needed by many. #FlexibleWorking #WorkingParents #WorkingCaregivers

We recently posted an article by Reed about it no longer being a 'candidate market'. We had some reservations about the language and tone, and asked whether this might be a narrow view, due to jobseekers continuing to vote with their feet when it comes to flexibility and a healthy work-life balance. Circumstances may be changing; however, the pandemic created a seismic shift in how people prioritise their health and wellbeing, and taught us a valuable lesson in the importance of employer/employee collaboration and cohesion. It's no longer acceptable to squeeze employees for all they are worth, the data shows that when people have a better work/life balance they are more productive, more motivated and the bottom line is positively affected - and even with limited job choices, people are still choosing organisations who value their wellbeing. This article sets out why it's still a top priority to offer flexible work patterns and a positive, inclusive company culture. https://buff.ly/47gNVxr #workplacetrends #flexibleworking #worklifebalance

"Employers who believe that people working from home are lazy should think again – they are less likely to take time off sick, tend to work longer hours and to work evenings and weekends." I always think back to my Economics A-level and McGregor's X and Y theory with this stuff. Ultimately, if you don't trust someone to get on with their work, why are you employing them in the first place? Like all "systems" nothing is perfect, but I do agree with this statement from Prof Neil Greenberg, a psychiatrist at King’s College London and one of the study’s authors: "We looked at a huge amount of evidence of the years and what our review shows is that there are ways to make the home working approach actually work well for the organisation and also for the employee.” Some thoughts on addressing some of the existing challenges: ❌ Fear of being overlooked for promotion ↘️ You don't need to be in the office every day, but a regular quarterly in-person helps blend your ability to execute with strategic visibility. (Also: go for an employer who values outcomes not just outputs). ❌Most of the papers reviewed showed that homeworkers were more sedentary, even though they ate more healthily. ↘️ By shifting focus to quarterly in-person gatherings which focus on movement and action, employers can show due care by reminding everyone to be less sedentary, where possible, and generate some of those unlocking ideas. ❌Do more to support managers and leaders to face this brave new world.↘️ The best distributed teams match working flexibly and hybrid/remote with meeting intentionally in-person, but this is a new skillset for many. Helping guide operational excellence for this mode is the value so many are seeking. ✔️ Going beyond home working approaches for the organisation and employee and into approaches that work well for the team and the customer, as the two driving forces for success in business innovation. 👀 WorkTripp® Thanks to Charlotte Hall from the UKHSA, who led this review of 1,930 academic papers! 👏 #hybridworking #WFH #remoteworking https://lnkd.in/ecERdSkp

Working from home can make us healthier and happier. Employers benefit too. Here’s the evidence if you need any convincing

In an era where technology blurs the lines between work and personal life, the relentless push for constant connectivity demands urgent regulatory intervention. The rise of hybrid and remote work since the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need for workplace protections that respect employees' time off. The UK Labour party's proposal for a "right to switch off" is a bold and necessary step. It seeks to curb the intrusive practice of contacting employees outside normal working hours, ensuring a healthier work-life balance. While some exceptions are inevitable, this proposal is a crucial move towards reclaiming personal time in an increasingly demanding digital world. What do you think? #WorkLifeBalance #HybridWork #FutureOfWork

"The best distributed teams match working flexibly and hybrid/remote with meeting intentionally in-person, but this is a new skillset for many." Totally agree with Sophie's post. I'd add that the right kind of flexible/hybrid/remote depends on the nature of the work being done - and working through to get it right for your organisations or team is one of the bigger challenges. But whatever the right answer for each organisation and team, having an intentional approach to in-person meetings is vital to making the most, not just of all of your people, but also of the potential connections between them. I've lost track of the number of offsites I've facilitated over the past couple of years (mostly using LEGO Serious Play) where teams are meeting in-person as a team for the first time in years (or ever). They are always joyful experiences; and almost always lead to new insights, hidden challenges and directional tweaks as all of the senses are engaged when in a room together. Bringing your people together to meet in-person on a regular basis isn't about not trusting the productivity of your people when working at home - it's about making them even more productive than they would otherwise be because they are are more aligned and connected with their colleagues and your aspirations.

Always lead your business with compassion for those helping you grow. No company has been successful without the dedication of its employees. Considering the current era where we spend every day facing economic depressions, global pandemics, civil unrest, and so many ‘unprecedented’ events, minimizing stress for employees should be the priority of every company. People cannot do their best work when they are overworked, overlooked, underpaid, and undervalued. Employees commit the majority of their waking hours to helping their company succeed and a below market salary with snacks in the breakroom isn’t enough to drive motivation anymore. People just aren’t being provided enough benefits to find passion in their work over the stress of their work environment. Appropriate wages. Generous PTO policies. Work from home flexibility. Affordable healthcare plans. Retirement account matching. Investment into career goals. Encouraging skill building. Trusting in their ability to do their job without being micromanaged. These should no longer be considered ‘perks’ of being a good company. They should be the benchmark. The bare minimum. Investing in your people’s wellbeing is the best way to guarantee your company is filled with hardworking, passionate employees. #HealthyWorkEnvironment #WorkplaceWellness #EmployeeWellbeing #CorporateCulture #WorkLifeBalance #EmployeeEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamBuilding #ProfessionalDevelopment #DiversityandInclusion

The latest labour market data has been published by the Office for National Statistics and, as The Work Foundation says, the country now has: "a smaller workforce that is poorer & sicker than in 2019". Taking care of staff, by ensuring people can balance jobs with everything else in life, has to be a business priority. Wellbeing & working pattern are intrinsically linked. But can firms afford to explore better working patterns, in times such as these? Yes - because it will save them far more, long term. Read all about our #FairFlexibleFutures research which looked at the financial financial case for frontline firms to invest in flexible working, back in 2022. The results showed that break-even is reached surprisingly quickly, through savings in costs relating to sickness absence and staff churn. See the analysis: https://lnkd.in/eX35jQwa #Frontline #Workforce #Wellbeing