Four questions for revising the work schedule

The coronavirus has changed the concept of the workplace so much that it will irreversibly affect the future of many organizations. Many executives have had to create new and better strategies to successfully transition to remote work; create environments that help, rather than harm, our immune system; and develop rules for compliance with safety measures such as “social distance”. Perhaps the most common change required to address all of these challenges is a revised work schedule to support lifestyle changes, minimize social contact, or meet new business demands. The traditional 9am to 6pm working day is no longer the gold standard.

The pandemic has drawn attention to medical personnel, doctors, grocery store employees, couriers and other professions who often work without regular schedules. But in fact, non-standard schedules are common, and every organization that is redefining the concept of a workplace today should be aware of the merits and demerits of introducing a non-standard schedule. It can affect many important results for employees, both personal and professional.

we studied 153 academic articles on the impact of non-standard work schedules on attitudes, behavior, physical and psychological health of workers, as well as their professional and personal lives. As a result, we formulated four questions to be answered by employers who decide to revise work schedules:

  1. How do work schedules in my organization affect employee performance and well-being? We have read studies on non-standard work schedules, including sliding shifts, night work, flexible working hours, and others. It was found that they have different effects on absenteeism, employee turnover and labor productivity. Night shifts are associated with increased absenteeism and decreased productivity, and flexible schedules are usually associated with reduced absenteeism and employee turnover. This year Gallup has published a report, according to which 51% of workers in the United States would like to switch to flexible work. This is especially true for working mothers.

    Different schedules affect not only labor productivity. They greatly affect employee attitudes and wellbeing. Flexible and concise schedules (when an employee works more hours a day, but fewer days a week) allow people to have better control over their work hours and provide more free time, which increases overall job satisfaction. Sliding and nightly schedules can be less predictable and have a worse impact on people’s personal lives, ultimately reducing job satisfaction.

    From a well-being perspective, rolling, night and evening schedules often affect behaviors that are important to people’s physical and psychological health – eating well and sleeping well. Over time, irregular habits can seriously compromise health. For example, in 2016, they published the results of a study that examined the lives of about 189,000 women over 24 years. For those who have worked on a sliding night schedule for more than 10 years, 15% -18% increased risk of developing coronary heart failure… Irregular work schedules can affect the ability to maintain positive relationships with spouses and children. This can lead to dissatisfaction with the work schedule, which is extremely important because, as has been shown, schedule satisfaction positively correlates with work engagement

  2. Is it even better to align schedules with the needs, desires, and personalities of employees? An individualized schedule that suits a specific person is an important factor in developing a post-pandemic strategy. While previous research found that some non-standard schedules are more harmful than others, it also became clear that some people are better suited to work during certain hours. For example, night shifts, although night shifts and may impair health and well-being, however some people it’s better adapted to work at such times (for example, due to their circadian rhythms or family circumstances).

    Therefore, employers who are considering the introduction of non-standard schedules should try to find such employees who are suitable for this, depending on their personality, needs or life circumstances. Companies can highlight this especially in vacancies, and they can also conduct surveys to find out the preferences of their employees and their chronotypes. Assessing employee satisfaction with schedule, as well as employee engagement, will help to better understand how people feel about their jobs.

  3. What are the implications of implementing a personalized schedule or giving employees more control over their schedule? Idiosyncratic schedules can be created to suit the needs and desires of specific employees. Organizational justice theories suggest that the schedules should serve different interests, and not necessarily be the same. That is, the “one timetable for all” approach may be outdated. During the pandemic, many employees have already switched to telecommuting, often on their own schedules.

    Companies considering giving people more control over their work schedules can start by expanding the concept of job crafting. Typically, this concept allows workers to define what they will work on, with whom, and why. You can also add here when

    Of course, this approach can lead to difficulties, especially for management, who may find flexible agreements more stressful for employees. However, now is the time to pay more attention to this issue.

  4. Is it possible to effectively balance the needs and desires of the company and employees? In a 24/7/365 economy, sentencethat in order to meet customer needs, companies need employees who work 24/7. Our review showed that employers are increasingly asking workers to work on unstable graphics, with unpredictable opening hours, short advance notice and limited employee input. But according to the results of the recent research such schedules can create tremendous stress and hardship for employees and their families. Especially in the case of low-paid workers.

    Of course, management shouldn’t forget that their companies have core functions and it may not always be possible to provide people with perfect schedules. The pandemic has shown the particular importance of certain professions, for example, in health care, and these people had a hard time. At the same time, after the pandemic, companies and society should reconsider the definition of “importance”. For example, is it really necessary for workers to be available at any time, all year round, to provide non-essential services in retail and fast food?

    A balance must be found between short-term business needs and the long-term benefits of new work schedules for employees and the organization.

To conclude, organizations can take a natural approach rather than a mechanistic approach and allow employees to have greater influence over their schedules. There is already an example of discussion about where (eg at home) and how (eg via video conferencing) people will work after the end of the pandemic. But we also need to discuss when. We encourage leaders to work with teams to think carefully about scheduling that is appropriate for them upon returning to their jobs.

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