Strategies that improve flexible work arrangements

To make the combination of working from home and in the office function well for a workgroup, clear strategies are required both for the individual and for the entire group, according to a new scientific article, one of the first to research and review methodologies for flexible work.

Since the pandemic, flexible work arrangements—alternating between working remotely and at the office—has become the norm at many workplaces. However, the differences between various professional groups are significant. According to a Statistics Sweden (SCB) survey, 15 percent of Swedes worked from home at least half of the time in March 2023.

Despite the prevalence of flexible work, scientifically grounded knowledge on how to best structure flexible work to promote employee well-being and productivity is still lacking. To support organisations that have implemented flexible work, researchers at the University of Gävle have developed methods both for individuals and for entire groups. Their study was based on a training programme aimed at developing methods for individuals and a workshop focused on designing common strategies for workgroups. Over 200 people participated in the study; one workgroup adopted the new methods while a control group continued working as before.

The results provided a comprehensive overview of several strategies that can improve flexible work arrangements in the workplace.

“Overall, the goal is to create a balance for employees by developing methodologies at both the individual and group levels so that employees can fully disengage from work during their free time. To reach this goal, employers should establish clear rules and create a culture in which expectations are known at both the group and individual levels,” says Sophie Pagard, PhD in Occupational Health Science and one of the authors.

First and foremost, basic rules and a policy that applies to the entire organisation thus need to be in place.

"As far as possible, the entire organisation should have a common policy for remote work to avoid having different rules in different departments or workgroups. The reason why is that workgroups need to be able to collaborate effectively. A framework regarding how many days employees can work from home, for example, can be part of such a policy," Sophie Pagard says.

At the group or department level, expectations and culture regarding flexible work arrangements are central, which makes creating a shared action plan beneficial.

"When does the entire workgroup, or parts of it, need to be in the office to meet in person? How quickly should emails be answered? Such aspects must be covered in the action plan. For instance, sending work-related emails and chat messages outside regular work hours can be acceptable, but it should be clear for everyone that a response is not expected until the next day," says Sophie Pagard.

Link to the scientific study External link.

Strategies for flexible work

At the overall organisational level

• Create a general framework or a common policy that applies to everyone if possible (depends on the individual’s job tasks).

At the department/workgroup level

• Develop a shared action plan that outlines expectations for employees.
• Ensure clarity regarding physical presence. Everyone should be able to see who is on-site, for example through a shared schedule. This should be included in the action plan.
• Decide how quickly employees need to respond to emails and chat messages. Matters that can be resolved quickly and urgent matters can be responded to directly. However, replying immediately to all messages may create unnecessary interruptions that disturb concentration.
• Set rules for expectations of availability outside regular working hours. Define when employees need to respond via mobile phone, email, or chat messages during off-hours.
• Clarify that leaving early is okay if working hours are flexible. If flexible hours are practiced, the culture must allow employees to work different hours in the office as well as remotely.
• Heads of department or team managers should regularly review the action plan to ensure that employees maintain the routines agreed upon by the group.

At the individual level

• Schedule time for handling emails. Non-urgent emails and chat messages can be dealt with at a specific time each day. This strategy reduces interruptions and increases the individual’s ability to focus on one task at a time.
• Turn off notifications for emails and chat messages if possible.
• Schedule lunch and breaks and add them to the calendar so that colleagues can see them. Block these times in the software used (e.g., Outlook).
• Also, schedule time for reflection in your personal schedule, possibly at the end of the workday. Use this time to create a priority list for the next day.
• Schedule planning time on Fridays to outline the upcoming week. Make a list of priorities for more time-consuming tasks.