Allowing for workplace flexibility, general work arrangements or friendly working hours can ensure your employees are stress-free, says Veronica Mizzi.

Living in today’s world, many would agree that life has become a race against time. Between juggling work, family life and one’s own activities, not to mention a good night’s sleep to start all over again, the hours in a day seem to be lacking.

This scenario is considerably tougher for parents, especially working mothers with younger children. One of the issues is the competing demands on their time. Young children who are enrolled in childcare or kindergarten tend to line up with a work schedule. However, children who are in their school years generally have a schedule which does not align with working hours, due to school hours.

So what are the options for working mothers and single parents? I’m sure that many would think of flexible working arrangements – but how does this work?

There are a number of flexible options employers may decide to introduce: reduced hours, job sharing, part-time work, and teleworking on a full-time, partial or occasional basis.

A work-from-home arrangement can be the solution parents are looking for, especially coupled with a flexible schedule. The latter is important in this scenario, since one can work around their child’s necessities and get work done in a manner that serves one’s schedule. These arrangements are becoming more accessible, especially thanks to technology.

The introduction of the free childcare scheme, an initiative launched by the Maltese Government in 2014, provides free childcare services to parents and guardians pursuing a career or further education. This has certainly aided mothers to return to work after their maternity leave, especially if their job requires them to be present and cannot be done on a flexible basis.

There is a trend nowadays among mothers, especially with young children, to be creative and come up with flexible money making solutions and investing in their own business. In this manner, they can spend valuable time raising a family while still contributing towards family finances and society as a whole.

However, as the next generation enters the workforce, flexibility will become even more important because it isn’t just millennial women or parents who are looking for work-life balance. Adding more flexibility into the office structure allows most employees to work at their own pace. Hence, allowing for workplace flexibility, general work arrangements or flexible working hours can be a way to ensure your employees are stress-free. This is because when an employee is enjoying a flexible work schedule, they’re more likely to find job satisfaction and a greater work/life balance.

Having a flexible schedule improves employee retention, motivation and productivity

On the other hand, what are the benefits for employers to introduce flexible working measures

Providing parents with flexible working arrangements will enable them to have a serene work-life balance. It encourages better interaction with their children and be actively involved in family events. Indirectly, this might be an employer’s corporate social responsibility measure. Having a flexible schedule improves employee retention, motivation and productivity as well as better management of own resources.

Employers need to move away from the stereotypical consideration of male and female employees. Male employees who have a family might also prefer to have a flexible work schedule.

Employers considering to introduce a flexible workplace can ask for feedback from staff in order get to know their individual needs and discuss their wants. This will help devise the creation of the office flexible work policy, understanding that there will likely be a broad range of requests.

They can also consider alternate work location options: allowing an employee to work from a remote area will improve work/life balance and decrease commuting expenses and frustrations of having to spend time in traffic. It also promotes a greener corporate culture.

Employers can also focus on the quality of work being delivered rather than the hours put in: set targets for each task given to an employee and keep an open communication tool that verifies tasks are being handled. It is now recognised that flexibility helps increase productivity, efficiency and commitment to the company. Therefore, the focus needs to be on allowing employees to work in that manner that is most suited to their needs.

Moreover, employees should be given the right tools for success while working from alternate locations.

Most people don’t want to spend their whole lives at work. Many want to spend time with their children, loved ones, friends or partaking in their hobbies. Therefore, allowing them the ability to have their lives not solely revolve around work is an investment in your employees and your business. Women and working mothers are not any less ambitious than their male counterparts, however they are many times forced to make decisions that revolve around their family requirements. The bottom line is – if there is an employee which is worth keeping, a company should find a way to support and keep them, even if it means having a more flexible approach to the work schedule.