Owing to the increasing number of studies emphasizing the benefits associated with flexible scheduling and vacation time, Shaun Barratt recently implemented a new approach and realized tremendous results -- some of which were somewhat unexpected but obviously welcome. Barratt, a longtime travel professional, notes that despite the admittedly small sample size associated with her own experience utilizing these strategies, the results she experienced are closely aligned with many recent in-depth scientific studies and anecdotal claims alike.
Implemented as a way to emphasize to her employees the importance of establishing and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, Barratt's expected employee productivity levels to remain stable following the introduction of flexible scheduling. The strategy -- which allows employees to schedule their time however they wish and urges employers to focus on total output rather than total hours worked -- actually increased employee productivity by a significant margin and resulted in employees working far fewer hours than ever before.
The increased productivity was a welcome surprise and certainly exceeded Barratt's expectations, but she knew it was possible that productivity would improve due to her familiarity with the results of recent research indicating the potential for substantial performance benefits. Other benefits, however, were entirely unexpected and caught Barratt by surprise.
Over time, Barratt noticed that employee turnover had decreased by a significant margin following the implementation of the new flexible work schedule and the unlimited vacation time policy. Employee retention and loyalty had been quite strong before the new policy was instituted, but the marked improvement in this area piqued Barratt's curiosity enough that she reviewed additional research in search of an explanation.
According to the research reviewed by Barratt, improvements in employee retention and loyalty have consistently occurred in direct correlation with the implementation of flexible scheduling and unlimited vacation policies. The rationale posed by researchers -- and reinforced by Barratt's own experience -- states that employees see these policies as evidence of exceptional respect and trust. Employees feel that their time and effort is properly valued and that their talents are properly respected, which in turn yields a reciprocal level of respect for the company expressed through an increased feeling of loyalty and commitment.
It has also become evident that these vacation and scheduling policies also yield a positive impact on the overall quality of the work produced by employees. Since the policies reinforce an overarching focus on results independent of all else, employees adopt a results-driven mindset that emphasizes the importance of the quality of the output rather than the volume of the output.
Although there is still likely to be a great deal of resistance to policies such as these, companies that place additional trust in their employees and demonstrate a deep respect for the skills possessed by their employees are sure to reap considerable rewards, including an improved bottom line. As more and more companies commit to such policies, those that hesitate may be taking an unnecessary and potentially harmful risk that may prove difficult to overcome.
