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In an era where the line between work and personal life is increasingly blurred, the story of Paralympian Bryan Larsen and his understanding employer shows what can be achieved when companies fully embrace flexibility.
It is something of an extreme example, granted. For most people flexibility in the workplace might mean taking an hour or two to attend a school play or take an exam. Not taking part in a high-profile international sports tournament.
But in an era of high prices and low wages when many people, especially younger workers, have so-called side hustles and other money-making projects going on, flexibility has become an expected norm that some employers are fine with while others are still very much not.
Flexibility is the new normal
The “old school” attitude of working during work time and putting outside interests temporarily aside remains a powerful and, for many, a reasonable argument.
But in a post-pandemic era of remote and hybrid working where the American Opportunity Survey reports that 35% have access to full-time remote work; 23% have access to part-time remote work and an overall 58% of respondents have access to some type of remote work, Gen Z entrants into the world of work expect it.
The needle has shifted. Employees are no longer just workers and 93% of them say they value well-being just as much as salary, according to Wellhub's The State of Work-Life Wellness report.
Some employers treat flexibility as a one-way street, expecting to be able to contact and interact with staff outside of working hours, for instance, but not extending that courtesy the other way.
From retention to risk reduction: How to deliver training to improve employee experience
There are a range of challenges facing people leaders when it comes to creating a compelling employee experience. It can be difficult to keep workers engaged, particularly where training & development is concerned. But whether it's compliance risk through mandatory training, or retaining staff through career skills building, it's business-critical for effective learning programs to enhance the employee experience.
Join us for a webinar hosted in partnership with WILL Interactive to learn how to deliver training to improve workplace culture and the bottom line.
The webinar will cover:
How the training you provide can elevate or diminish the employee experience
The benefits a more modern training experience can bring to the organization include retaining staff, addressing competency gaps, and even reducing compliance risk for mandatory training
The role exceptional training can play throughout the process of employee and workforce development
HR Grapevine is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary is firmly in that camp. The news that Australian workers now have a legal right to disconnect and not answer work messages after hours prompted a typical reaction from the Canadian entrepreneur.
“Who dreams this crap up is my question? Why would anyone propose such a stupid idea? What happens if you have an event in the office and it’s closed? Or you have an emergency somewhere and you have to get a hold of them at two in the morning because it affects the job they’re working on?”
It is a fair point but it is a logical fallacy. You would imagine that if that were the case, there would already exist an implicit understanding that the job required some degree of flexibility if it were the type of role that needed any sort of input at 2am.
What he is arguing for (but hasn’t realized it) is greater workplace flexibility, but only in favor of the employer, not the employee.
Winning the war for talent
In the so-called ‘war for talent’ those employers willing to bend a little and recognize that work and life sometimes overlap are the ones that will attract the best of that talent.
Companies that are still operating under the old rules are waving a big red flag to anyone wondering whether to apply for a role with them.
Bryan Larsen’s employer Medtronic is now known to have a culture of trust, inclusivity, and support for its employees, which is hugely positive in terms of its employer brand and recruitment marketing.
He has unwittingly become the poster boy for better relations in the workplace.
His "lunch and learn" sessions with his colleagues about the Paralympics have turned his personal quest into a shared experience for his colleagues. It is invaluable in building a strong, cohesive corporate culture and great for morale. Imagine if he medals.
Medtronic’s approach is not just a feel-good story; it is smart business strategy. Greater employee retention translates directly into reduced turnover, increased productivity, and a more positive work environment.
At a time when corporate values are under increasing scrutiny, Medtronic's supportive stance sends a powerful message to potential employees, customers, and partners about the kind of organization it is.
That is to say; one you might want to work for.
