What does it mean for enterprises and institutions to implement flexible work systems?

Flexible working system means that on the premise of completing specified work tasks or fixed working hours, employees can flexibly and independently choose specific work schedules to replace a unified and fixed commute to and from get off work. The system of time. In Europe and the United States, more than 40% of large companies have adopted "flexible working systems", including well-known large companies such as Xerox and Hewlett-Packard; in Japan, large companies such as Hitachi Manufacturing, Fuji Heavy Industries, and Mitsubishi Electric have also adopted it to varying degrees. Similar reforms were made. In our country, more and more factories and enterprises are experimenting with this system. Starting from 2014, the Korean central government and local governments will implement a "5-hour flexible work system" to allow employees to arrange their working hours flexibly.

Recently, the Ministry of Environmental Protection issued a notice on the prevention and control of air pollution in the winter of 2013, proposing that compulsory measures such as enterprise suspensions, production restrictions, motor vehicle restrictions, dust control, and prohibition of open-air barbecues can be implemented. It also requires that when the highest level warning is issued, measures such as the suspension of large-scale outdoor activities, the suspension of primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, and the implementation of flexible work systems in enterprises and institutions are required. When severe pollution weather is predicted, early warning will be given and response measures will be taken in a timely manner.

With the rapid development of information technology, the rapid changes in the working methods of modern society and the accelerating pace of life, the traditional nine-to-five working method is being increasingly tested.

According to a market survey, more than half of domestic white-collar workers prefer the non-traditional "9 to 5" work style. They believe that the pace of modern work and life is too fast. Compact, there must be more flexible working methods to stimulate their enthusiasm for work, help them adjust the biological clock that is most suitable for their work and rest habits, so as to ensure that they have sufficient rest time to "decompress" and "decompress", so that their minds can be refreshed at all times Stay alert.

In the field of human resource management research, the application of motivation theory in practice has also made this emerging way of working more suitable for the development of the times? "Flexible working system" came into being.

Advantages

The flexible working system has significant advantages over the traditional fixed working time system. The advantages of flexible working system for enterprises or organizations are mainly reflected in:

Flexible working chart book

1. Flexible working system can reduce absenteeism rate, lateness rate and employee turnover.

2. Flexible working system can increase employee productivity. One study found that flexible working reduced procrastination by 42% and increased productivity by 33% among the companies surveyed. The explanation for this result is that flexible working allows employees to better arrange their working time according to personal needs and enables employees to exercise a certain degree of autonomy in work arrangements. As a result, employees are more likely to align their work activities with their most productive hours and better coordinate their work time with their schedules for activities outside of work.

3. The flexible working system increases the working hours and reduces overtime pay (for example, after a German company adopted this system, overtime pay was reduced by 50%).

The advantages of flexible working system for individual employees are:

(1) Employees have a certain degree of freedom to choose during working hours. They are free to work and rest according to their own needs, and can commute to and from get off work Avoid traffic congestion, avoid the tension caused by worrying about being late or absent from work, and be able to arrange time to participate in private and important social activities, making it easier to arrange family life and hobbies.

(2) Because employees feel that their personal rights and interests have been respected, high-level needs such as socialization and respect are met, thus creating a sense of responsibility and improving job satisfaction and morale.

Disadvantages

However, flexible working systems also have certain disadvantages.

First, it can make it difficult for managers to direct subordinates to work outside of the same working hours as core employees, and can lead to confusion in work shifts. Second, when someone with special skills or knowledge is not on site, it can also make problems more difficult to solve and make planning and control tasks more cumbersome and expensive for managers.

In addition, many jobs are not suitable for flexible working, such as department store salespersons, office receptionists, and assembly line operators. The work of these people is related to other people inside and outside the organization. As long as this interdependence exists, flexible working is usually not a viable option.

Flexible working system - implementation factors

Implementation conditions

The implementation of flexible working system also requires certain conditions.

First of all, this work can accurately assess individual work performance (quality, quantity);

Secondly, the enterprise's production process and technical specifications should allow the work to be carried out Flexible work system;

Third, the enterprise has relatively strict management rules and regulations to ensure;

Fourth, enterprise managers at all levels, including grassroots managers, have relatively high management capabilities level, and support this change measure;

Finally, employees have sufficient knowledge and understanding of this system.

Ingredients for success

If your organization operates in a more traditional way, you may want to consider the following two questions: Can flexible work work? What are the difficulties associated with implementing and managing these matters? There are nine factors that determine the successful implementation of flexible working systems.

1. Find the solution that suits you best. Any flexible work arrangement (and therefore any talent management strategy) must serve the organization and its customers. Whether the arrangement is appropriate or not is an issue that must be considered.

Flexible working chart

Not every position is suitable for flexible working. Some people's personalities are also destined to be unable to handle flexible working arrangements. Establishing rational judgment criteria can go a long way in helping organizations identify competent candidates.

2. Focus on employee retention. Companies that promote flexible working systems must focus on the "big picture" of retaining employees, that is, taking care of their employees' personal satisfaction. If a high-potential employee requests flexible working hours or reduced working hours, then a solution should be found for his request rather than strictly adhering to existing rules and regulations. To improve employee satisfaction, the organization must Recognize the overlap between employees’ lives and work. In the past, it was enough to launch a PR campaign and tell employees how great the company was. Now, you have to listen to what your employees are saying and understand what their needs are.

3. Clarify responsibilities. Sometimes HR leaders provide guidance, advice and monitor managers as they decide whether employees are suitable for flexible work arrangements. Sometimes, human resources departments set the guidelines and department managers are responsible for implementing them.

Regardless of the chain of command, line managers and HR directors should work together in the development and implementation of the plan. Involving HR can help managers think about flexible work plans in terms of how they can benefit the organization.

4. Work hard on communication. The successful implementation of flexible working systems is inseparable from communication. It is important that employees and managers have a clear understanding of their new roles. Managers must listen to employees’ ultimate desires for flexible work plans: Want to be more productive? Want to spend more time with your family? Looking for time to pursue interests outside of work? Or want to spend less time commuting to get off work to be less stressed?

To stay connected with their employees, many organizations conduct regular employee satisfaction surveys. Some organizations conduct one-on-one interviews with employees. During these interviews, managers and employees review the pros and cons of the flexible work program and refine work goals to ensure the program continues to benefit employees and employers.

5. Obtain support from top management. No big project can be sustained without the support of the CEO and executive team. Executive support sends a signal to employees that the company is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure employees are satisfied and successful at work. Managers will be more willing to adopt and implement flexible work plans if they are empowered by their executive team.

Whatever flexible work program is, broad organizational support depends on the value that company executives see in it.

6. Configure equipment for employees. Employees who choose flexible work arrangements need the appropriate technology tools (such as laptops and mobile phones) to work effectively, stay connected to their teams, and be monitored by their managers.

A flexible system will bring one benefit, that is, employees can not work according to fixed hours. However, employers must ensure that employees are available during normal working hours. Some employees don't know when to turn off their communication tools and end up being interrupted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The manager should clearly set out when he expects the employee to be available. Managers must also respect their employees and not impose unreasonable demands on them just because they are working flexibly.

7. Employee self-management. Flexible working can take some getting used to. "People who implement flexible working are often their own worst enemy. It takes about three years to adapt to flexible working. You have to learn what to do and what not to do in the process. It is a difficult process. , you are always making decisions.”

Employees who choose flexible working arrangements must take responsibility for their own work and report to their managers regularly. Organizations may also consider asking employees who wish to adopt flexible working to submit a work plan themselves after studying the basic principles published by the company.

8. Do not make value judgments. Choosing flextime is not a bad thing, nor is it a reflection of a person’s ability or dedication. Organizations must have this understanding. However, there are still some companies whose cultures look down upon employees who do not work traditional hours, viewing them as “lazy,” “irresponsible,” “lack of direction,” or “putting the cart before the horse.”

Companies should strictly avoid making value judgments on employees who choose flexible working arrangements. If for some reason flexible working doesn't produce the desired results, it shouldn't give employees any bad thoughts. Employees who choose flexible working may find this working style difficult to manage. Many employees even ended up choosing to return to traditional work arrangements. The manager's job is to help make this transition a smooth one.

9. Fully accept employees. Many organizations are realizing that their success depends on employee satisfaction.

Takeda Pharmaceutical’s corporate culture recognizes that “for a company to be successful, it first requires its employees to succeed—not just at work, but in all areas of life.” To this end, the organization employs various flexible work programs, such as job-sharing programs.

An employee wants to work less hours after becoming a mother. She proposed that she and ***, another part-time employee, share a job and divide the tasks equally. They both work a set part-time schedule, with one day both working on the day for staff meetings or face-to-face interactions.

As with other new HR initiatives, success with flexible work takes time and trial and error. Listen to your people, respond, adjust and adapt until you succeed. After creating a successful project, continue to improve it so that it meets the needs of both the business and its employees.

Flexible work system - significance of promotion

Since everyone has different life needs, styles and habits, traditional fixed working hours force everyone to work at the same time. It is a relatively rigid method that cannot adapt to people's needs and therefore cannot bring out the maximum efficiency of people. In this sense, the flexible work system sees the position of people at work and pays attention to people's needs, so its implementation has produced better results. Due to the popularization and application of flexible working system and its motivational consequences, it has become one of the important contents in the study of organizational development and change.

Flexible working system - implementing countries

In Europe and the United States, more than 40% of large companies have adopted "flexible working system", including well-known large companies such as Xerox and Hewlett-Packard; In Japan, large companies such as Hitachi Manufacturing, Fuji Heavy Industries, and Mitsubishi Electric have also carried out similar reforms to varying degrees. In our country, more and more factories and enterprises have emerged that are trying out this system.

On September 8, 2013, the Ministry of Employment and Labor of South Korea released the "Core Issues and Specific Plans to Achieve the 70% Employment Rate Target". The Korean central government and local governments will implement the "5 Hourly flexible work system" allows employees to arrange their working hours flexibly.

According to this plan, the government will fully implement the "2-person, 5-hour flexible working system" from 2014 after listening to public opinions. However, most workplaces in South Korea only implement the "1-person, 8-hour full-time working system" ". The plan stipulates that even if employees choose the "5-hour flexible working system", they will enjoy the same treatment as employees who choose the "full-time working system" in terms of salary and promotion.

In order to popularize the flexible working system, the government will cooperate with 30 major companies such as Samsung and Posco, actively guide private companies to participate, and will also provide various tax exemptions and other benefits to companies that implement flexible working systems. discount. The government will also enact the "Law on the Protection and Employment Promotion of Flexible Working Employees" and establish a support center to protect employees who choose flexible working arrangements.

In August 2015, the State Council of China issued a document proposing to encourage flexible work and rest. Zhang Jilin, spokesperson of the National Tourism Administration, said that encouraging flexible work and rest mainly refers to optimizing summer work and rest in accordance with the law, and does not include other seasons, let alone Adjustments to the existing leave system. Zhang Jilin said that flexible work and rest is an incentive measure rather than an institutional arrangement. It is not an adjustment to my country's existing vacation system. It is not a reduction of 40 hours of legal working hours per week to achieve Friday afternoon vacation. This is an advocacy measure, not a mandatory requirement, and it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Flexible work and rest must be based on compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Where conditions permit, places and units can optimize and adjust in a variety of ways based on actual conditions.

Flexible working system - key points to note

Smooth and efficient communication

No matter which method is adopted, "communication" is undoubtedly the most important part of implementing flexible working system. ring. Especially since everyone works at different times, the definition of so-called "responsibility" must be clearer.

Although electronics and the Internet are very developed, you cannot see the attitudes and expressions that people may reflect when communicating face-to-face. These hidden factors are often also important for supervisors' decision-making.

Although text communication through E-mail can sometimes offset some of the negative emotions that may arise during interpersonal communication, what is really important is not the convenience of the communication tool, but the flexibility of each person. In the work environment, are the premises and goals of work planning clearly understood?

Therefore, in addition to making good use of convenient emails, departments must also have time to share with each other. Especially for supervisors, they must have a good grasp and share the status of all members at the same time, so that there will be no cognitive gap among employees.

Flexible work chart

Self-disciplined and pragmatic corporate culture

In a flexible work system, if you want to balance discipline and efficiency, sometimes the best way is not necessarily Establish another set of strict norms and form a "self-discipline" culture within the company. It is most effective to influence and restrict employees' behavior through culture. Usually, the more competitive the talent environment, the more effective "self-discipline behavior" is than designing any preventive system.

Although the flexible working system is based on humanistic considerations and allows employees to have different working styles, company operations must still maintain discipline. If the regulations are unclear, it will easily lead to excessive conflicts between departments. management differences.

At this time, as a supervisor, it is best to have a set of standards, especially the personnel supervisor, to clearly define the scope of flexible work and remind supervisors not to allow too much difference within the company's departments.

Maintain the consistency of system implementation

For supervisors, they should avoid the attitude of "sometimes tight and sometimes loose" in management, because the freedom of flexibility is often "hard to control once it is released" "If it is necessary to adopt tight management policies, the supervisor must be prepared for communication, especially before subjectively trying to "correct" employee behavior. This process is very important. Never announce new regulations arbitrarily just because you have ideas or opinions from others. Communicating new ideas with employees more and listening to their opinions can increase the chances of implementing new policies. In fact, as long as young employees clearly explain the rationale behind the new system, their acceptance of new management ideas will usually not be too low.

In addition, supervisors will also encounter the management problem of "the more capable people have more opinions". Sometimes it is difficult for decision-making opinions not to be affected, so it is inevitable to use special methods to solve them, but more importantly The important thing is that the company's system is still the main body after all, and personal issues must not be allowed to pose management challenges. If horizontal and vertical communication are smooth on daily basis, employees’ backlash will naturally be reduced.

Flexible work system - case analysis

Should "flexible work" be paid?

Zhang was originally a janitor at a company in Ningbo. In 2008, he was After the contract expired, both parties signed a labor contract. The contract period was from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2011. The job was cleaning and sanitation, and the monthly salary was 850 yuan, including lunch allowance, communication fees, and bonuses. , overtime wages, etc. Zhang's average salary in the twelve months before his resignation was 988 yuan, and his actual salary after deducting overtime wages in each month was not lower than the Ningbo City minimum wage standard. The company originally provided Zhang with accommodation at the doorman's office. Later, Zhang rented a house to live outside, but he still slept at the doorman's office the next night and was engaged in the simple work of opening and closing the door and checking the alarm. On March 2, 2009, the company terminated the labor relationship with Zhang on the grounds that Zhang was incompetent at work, and paid Zhang an economic compensation of 2,523 yuan and an additional April salary of 960 yuan. Zhang believed that while working at the company, the company arranged for him to do cleaning work during the day and janitor work for 12 hours every other day at night, but the company only paid wages for cleaning work. Zhang asked the company to pay a total of 23,400 yuan in wages for working as a night guard and 25% of the economic compensation of 3,900 yuan. After Zhang's request was rejected by the labor arbitration committee, Zhang filed a civil lawsuit in the court.

As for Zhang’s lawsuit, the defendant believed that Zhang had no place to live at that time, so the defendant arranged for him to sleep in the guard room. Zhang only occasionally opened and closed the door at night to check the alarm, etc., and there was no security guard. Job Responsibilities. In November 2008, the company suffered a loss of 7,000 yuan from theft. Zhang did not notice anything at the time, and the defendant did not hold Zhang responsible for this because Zhang had no janitor duties. Therefore, Zhang’s request to pay the janitor’s salary has no factual basis.

After hearing, the court held that the plaintiff and defendant had clearly agreed on the plaintiff’s job position and salary in the labor contract, and the contract was binding on both parties. The plaintiff was mainly engaged in cleaning work in the defendant's unit, and sleeping in the guard room at night was just a simple ancillary job. The plaintiff did not provide evidence to prove that the two parties had agreed that the ancillary work required additional wages and remuneration, and the plaintiff did not claim additional wages and remuneration for the content of the work during his employment. This should be regarded as the plaintiff's recognition of the wages, remuneration and work content. Therefore, the plaintiff The petition will not be supported. Accordingly, the court dismissed the plaintiff’s claim.

Analysis: Workers provide labor in accordance with the provisions of the labor contract, and the employer pays labor remuneration in accordance with the provisions of the labor contract. However, in practice, employers often adjust the specific work content of workers due to the needs of the company's production and operations, such as temporarily assigning workers to do some "extra" tasks, commonly known as "flexible work." Whether "flexible work" should be paid separately has become a frequent point of contention between workers and employers.

When two parties have a dispute over wage remuneration, the true willingness of both parties to provide labor and obtain wage remuneration must be explored to determine the reasonableness of wage payment. In this case, the court held that the plaintiff’s main job was cleaning, and the defendant only let the plaintiff sleep in the doorman’s office because he had nowhere to live. The plaintiff only provided simple tasks at the doorman’s office at night, such as opening and closing doors. The plaintiff was not held liable for negligence, and the plaintiff never claimed any additional compensation for the job during his employment. Therefore, the court held that the "flexible work" the plaintiff was engaged in was only ancillary work, and the company should not pay additional compensation.

Does the injury caused by "crossing the line" constitute a work-related injury

Liu is a roll pusher in the carding workshop of a textile company in Ningbo. The carding workshop where he works is adjacent to the blowroom workshop. . One day in March 2013, Liu left the carding workshop where he worked without being assigned by others during his middle shift and came to the blowroom workshop. He found that the cotton picking machine in the blowroom workshop was clogged, so he cleaned the cotton picking machine in the cleaning pool by hand. After the clogged machine was cleared, it suddenly ran, causing Liu's right arm to be interrupted. Later, Liu's right arm was seriously injured. The upper limb was amputated.

After the accident, Liu applied for a work-related injury to the labor and social security department. After investigation, the labor and social security department determined that the injury suffered by Liu was a work-related injury. The Textile Co., Ltd. filed an administrative lawsuit against the determination of the labor and social security department. It believed that the Qinghua Pond was not Liu’s workplace at all. No leader arranged or entrusted him to clean the cotton. Liu’s private “shifting” during work was a violation of the law. Developed work discipline. In addition, there are clear "warning signs" in the Qinghua Pond. Liu privately jumped into the guardrail and violated the operating procedures to clean the cotton picker with his hands. This does not comply with the "work place" provisions in the identification of work-related injuries and should not be recognized as a work-related injury.

After trial, the court held that any area where work tasks are completed should be recognized as a workplace. In this case, Liu's motive was that he was afraid that the machinery and equipment would be damaged and cause losses to the company, so he was injured when he voluntarily entered the clearing pond to clean the blocked cotton, which constituted a work-related injury. Therefore, the work-related injury determination made by the labor and social security department was upheld in accordance with the law.

Analysis: The "Regulations on Work-related Injury Insurance" stipulates that working hours, workplace, and work reasons are the three major elements for the identification of work-related injuries. However, the "Regulations" do not clearly define the scope of "working hours" and "workplace" as well as the scope of "reasons for work". Especially for some "flexible work" of workers, most of them do not come from employers. The assignment of the unit comes from the sense of responsibility of the workers as members of the enterprise and they consciously assume it. Workers sometimes do bad things with good intentions. For example, in this case, Liu had his right arm amputated in order to clear a clogged machine. The company will pay higher fees for this. For "flexible work" decided by the employee on his own, is it not considered a work-related injury just because it is not in his or her "workplace" or is not within his or her scope of duties?

The legislative spirit of our country’s identification of work-related injuries is to ensure to the greatest extent possible that workers without subjective malicious intent can obtain medical treatment, economic compensation and compensation after suffering accidental injuries or occupational diseases due to work or work-related activities. The right to rehabilitation focuses on protecting the legitimate rights and interests of workers who are in a disadvantaged position compared with the employer. When the relevant legal provisions on the identification of work-related injuries are too general, principled, and unclear in enumeration, they should be understood from the perspective of benefiting the interests of workers as much as possible, so that workers can obtain economic relief after being injured. Therefore, "working time" does not refer to the time between commuting and get off work. All performance of work obligations and preparation time before and after should be regarded as working time. The "workplace" cannot be limited to the worker's position area. All work tasks or preparation time should be considered as working time. Any work-related area should be considered a workplace.

The victim should be compensated to the maximum extent

Summary analysis:

In the above two examples, even from a moral intuition, most people would think that the court would The verdict is just.

However, some "flexible jobs" are often not recognized by the public because they are considered to be work-related injuries because of their remote "relevance" to work. For example, in the past few years, Li, an accountant from Dongba Middle School in Gaochun County, Nanjing, died suddenly after drinking with his superiors. The school planned to apply for a work-related injury case for him, which caused an uproar in public opinion at that time. The case was affected by public opinion, and Li was ultimately unable to enjoy work-related injury benefits.

The same thing is accepted by the public in Korea. Using wine to communicate feelings has become part of Korean corporate culture. Some companies even encourage employees to do this to enhance team spirit. However, drinking alcohol will obviously damage the health of employees. Therefore, the Korean Ministry of Labor includes diseases caused by drinking at work as part of the scope of work-related accident insurance, and victims can receive compensation.

How should work-related injuries be determined? There is indeed cognitive "flexibility" in this. Under normal circumstances, people can accept the explanation that "regardless of working time, working location or working reason, the final determination of attribution should be based on whether the employee is performing his or her duties." Food and drink are a different matter.

I believe that many Chinese people have also encountered the situation where they have to eat and drink with them because of the work unit. Accountant Li died suddenly at work, and his family must bear all the consequences. This is actually unfair.

We hope that the law can improve relevant regulations as soon as possible so that workers’ “flexible work” can be protected to a greater extent. After all, most of the people who are injured in "flexible work" are ordinary employees. Some of their injuries occur while actively performing their duties, while others are involuntarily injured in remote and relevant positions.