Flexible work can be fraught with challenges if employees perceive that it's being offered on an unfair basis, but "mainstreaming" flexibility helps employers avoid many of these issues, according to a new paper from the Australian Institute of Management.
Monitoring and measuring the impact of work-life balance strategies has been a key factor in retaining and broadening support for them, says ABC's manager of diversity, Chrissie Tucker.
Running a pilot program to identify potential issues can help an organisation decide whether working from home arrangements should be made broadly available, says the manager of a team that now has two-thirds of its employees in home-based work, and much higher retention rates as a result.
A checklist of minimum safety and technical requirements for home-based work is essential to ensure the arrangements are trouble-free, and that employees understand their obligations and responsibilities.
Changing the language organisations use to describe flexible work will help remove some of the stigma that it is only for mothers, and allow it to become "mainstream", Diversity Council Australia says.
In a move that could have significant financial implications for big business, an Australian institution is urging the federal government to stop entering into contracts with employers whose diversity records aren't up to scratch.
Adopting a short-term view of independent contractors means many organisations are ignoring a huge talent pool of professionals looking for meaningful work from home, says co-director of The Interview Group, Lenore Lambert.
To help employees achieve real balance in their lives, employers need to be more flexible about start and finish times, and even acceptable attire, says RedBalloon employee experience manager Megan Bromley.
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