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| Employer & employee thoughts differ | ||||
| on return to work | ||||
 An article in online business magazine Smart Company has thrown up some interesting statistics on the difference in thinking between employers and employees when it comes to their participation in the workforce. And begs the question, is anyone actually communicating at all?According to a recent study by resource provider Kronos, Australian businesses think the cost of childcare is holding back parents from the workforce, but that's not actually what the parents themselves are saying. The study revealed that more than 80% of businesses think the high cost of childcare is the most pressing issue holding back people from a return to the workforce after a career break (e.g., parental leave). But when Kronos quizzed 2000 employees across a range of sectors, it found that the vast majority (72%) cited long, inflexible hours as the number–one factor preventing them from taking work. Of the women surveyed, almost all 96.7% said they were keen to return to work should their employer offer flexible hours. Of course we know that the cost of child care is very important and a key issue for all of us, but most working or would-be working parents would bear the cost if they managed to get the flexible hours they needed to make sure their return to work was smoothed by the ability to work flexibly and not have the daily juggle turn into a complete nightmare – which is exactly what it is for a lot of parents. According to the research, while 54% of the business decision makers polled by Kronos said they were willing to adapt their hours to employee needs, half said flexibility was too disruptive to the working environment, and 37% said the administration and management of flexible work policies were prohibitively complex. Does it really have to be this hard? Are employers simply stamping their feet to maintain control and old school work values? If these results are true then clearly no one's really talking to each other honestly at all! Ultimately Australian businesses need to retain employees and encourage mums back into the workforce with a view to them staying there long term. Of course not all businesses lend themselves to employee flexibility, but those are becoming fewer and fewer. Even if working from home isn't an option, then flexi hours (which have been around since the 90s or earlier) and other flexibility options such as job share and four-day weeks are surely possible. Everybody knows that employees on four-day weeks get five days' worth of work done in those four days! Part time doesn't actually mean less output. It often simply translates as more efficiency! And for less cost to the employer. So what's not to like? Peter Harte, Kronos' Asia-Pacific vice president, said given Australia is "in the midst of a major skills shortage, the results of our survey show there is a clear opportunity for businesses to reassess their workforce management strategy in order to access a pool of talent that is ready, willing and able to work." Flexible or part-time workers are a boon to businesses, boosting productivity, Harte added. He cited a recent Ernst & Young study that showed women who work part-time or flexible hours waste 11.1% of work time, compared to the 14.5% of work time that is wasted by full-time workers. Well from a working mother's perspective: Duh! Tell us something we don't know! |
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