1. Workplace flexibility is extremely important to modern business. Business is no longer a 9 to 5 job. Employees are accessible 24/7 with the use of modern technology. With that being said, there still is a shift towards an uneven balance between work and home life with the swing more towards work life. Home life has taken a back seat to work life for many individuals in many different scenarios. Raising a family has become a struggle for working individuals. Family time does not pass without checking email or answering phone calls. Flexibility time should be geared towards helping to level the balance between work and home life. Americans as a society have become too involved in professional careers and emphasis on family life is almost non-existent. Flexibility should be instituted all around to promote family time and less emphasis on job responsibilities. Flex time allows employees to spend time with family, make events that their kids participate in, spend time with their spouse, etc. Working part time from home gives parents time to be at home more with their children, helps reduce child care costs and promotes healthy growth for children by having parents active in their lives. Down time is needed to help relieve stress, increase productivity and promote well being. The more an employee is productive, the more a business will flourish.
2. As I mentioned in question 1, focus has really been on job and not home life for employees of every industry. Purely for health and wellbeing, companies should be required by law to provide some aspects of flexibility discussed in the articles. I think that a compressed workweek should be mandatory. A four day, 10 hours a day work week should be implemented. Many employees are putting in the extra time to begin with. They should have some downtime to prevent burnout. Today’s society is seeing all work, no play, older retirement age, weekend work, not taking vacation time, etc. These habits can be bad for one’s health and a mandatory break needs to be implemented. Other flexibility can be optional. Working one day a week from home allows an employee to be able to be around their home and be able to take care of personal items without losing some work time. Flexplace is another great option. There may be a location more convenient to the employee that they can work out of once or twice a week that would allow them to be closer to home or where they need to be. It will reduce travel time and gas. Working from home nearly all the time. If business can be conducted from