In tough economic times, a flexible work environment can be even more compelling for businesses' short and long-term success. Following the White House Forum for Workplace Flexibility, hosted by President Obama and the First Lady, Flexperience convened top executives from leading Bay Area companies including Gap, Google, LiveOps and SAP to discuss best practices and real world examples for how flexibility is providing an upside for business in today’s economy at our annual Emerging Trends In Workplace Flexibility™ event. The range of approaches to workplace flexibility was exciting for this year’s panel. Gap piloted its own Results-Only-Work-Environment, Google is a Bay Area leader that understands how a multi-generational workforce requires flexibility to support the innovation that can happen anywhere, anyplace, LiveOps’ business model is based on enabling home-based talent across the country to work, and SAP understands the direct financial impact of work-life issues on employee engagement. These are all leaders who see workplace flexibility as the business imperative it is. The event was keynoted by Ann O'Leary, Executive Director at Berkeley Law's Center for Health, Economic & Family Security, who discussed her work on The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything, and how to build the business case for alternative workforce programs.
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KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
- Ann O’Leary, Berkeley Center on Health, Economic & Family Security
PANELISTS:
MODERATOR:
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Keynote Address: Anne O’Leary
- Share of mothers who are breadwinners or co-breadwinners has risen from 27.7% in 1967 to 63.3% in 2008.
- Family structure in 2007-2008 – 42% are dual-earner families in California and 44% nationally.
- Public strongly in favor of companies being required to provide more flexibility to its employees and believe companies that fail to adapt to the modern needs of families will risk losing good workers.
- 51% of people strongly believe that more flexible work schedules and hours would need to change in order for working parents to balance evenly their jobs and families.
Panel Discussion from April 21st event
- Gap – ROWE
- Looking to create competitive difference to engage best talent
- ROWE instituted – 75% reduction in turnover
- Key factors – (1) business case, (2) evolution, and (3) change agents
- Business case proven and company executives on board
- SAP – Flexible Work Arrangements program
- Space constraints and retention concerns spurred FWA
- Need for conversation to be about the business case for flexibility and not the personal issue
- Set aside time to nurture and cultivate change agents to champion the cause
- Conversations are key, helping managers foster conversation about results
- LiveOps – Freelance Community
- 75% of workers work from their own homes
- Increase in retention due to flexibility
- Environment of meritocracy
- Google – Flexible Work Culture
- Flexibility is part of the Google culture with a multi-generational employee base
- Metrics in place to measure results and accountability
- Use of concierge services and ability to control how and when you work
- Understanding the data – flexibility is used differently by different employees – not a one size fits all policy