Changing Work Patterns

Changing Work Patterns

If the workplace of today could be characterized by a single theme, it would most likely focus on the continual presence of change. Dramatic changes in technology, the marketplace and the workforce have compelled organizations to re-evaluate not only the competitiveness of their products, but also the core ways in which work is performed. It is out of this pursuit for continued survival that organizations have been faced with the notion of varying work-schedules beyond the traditional hours of nine to five. This paper will explore the societal and business changes that have led to a proliferation in flexible work patterns. This paper will also address the benefits and disadvantages of flexible work patterns for both employees and employers.

Demographic trends affecting the Australian labour pool have resulted in considerable workforce changes. The single most important change is the mass entry of women into the workforce, especially married women with children. Spurred initially by equal opportunity legislation, affirmative action and the women’s movement, the growth in women’s workforce participation has been sustained by increased education, a desire for personal fulfilment, economic necessity, and the high rate of divorce.

The percentage of women in the workforce has increased from 50 percent in the 1970’s to 75 percent in 1998. Sixty-two percent of mothers with children under the age of six are employed, while 75 percent of mothers with children between the ages of six and seventeen are employed. Concurrently, new family structures have emerged, as the traditional “nuclear family” (single-earner husband, homemaker wife and children) has declined to minority status. The nuclear family description fit...

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..." feeling; there may be feelings of increased isolation and loss of social contact for flexible work pattern employees; hard feelings can develop among employees whose positions or personal circumstances do not allow them to have a flexible schedule.

The benefits of flexible work arrangements, however, far outweigh these potential pitfalls. As more organizations begin to perceive these initiatives as strategic management tools, flexibility will move beyond its origin as an accommodation to working mothers. Simply put, companies intent on succeeding in the marketplace will be compelled to implement flexible work patterns. Such organizations will find that their potential for increased profitability is significantly affected by how skilfully they can integrate a variety of work-time and work-site options to create a climate of equitable flexibility for all employees.