The concept of working 9 to 5 has been criticized for decades, but society has come to a breaking point with this work model that even Dolly Parton knows is antiquated.
Now, companies like Zoom are giving their employees the ability to choose their best work style, whether that be in the office, working remotely, or a combination of the two.
But some are taking it even further. For instance, ecommerce startup Bolt recently announced it would be pivoting to a permanent four-day workweek for its almost 600 employees.
Nearly two years after the pandemic upended society, companies are finally coming around to the understanding that the Great Resignation is having adverse effects on their operations. Without making updates to current work arrangements, firms risk losing their top talent.
“People were feeling like [the pandemic] was settling down, and then omicron reared its ugly head and threw companies backward,” said Anita Williams Woolley, associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. “There’s a lot to be worked out for an organization.”
However, while embracing some flexible work policies, organizations are also facing issues in terms of collaboration and inequity.
According to Woolley, companies can address these challenges by adopting policies that make it easy for employees to easily communicate with one another, attend meetings, and provide workers with equal opportunities for flexible work.
