Symposium: Work Flexibility in the US and Europe

Work practices are going through major changes globally. Though historically economic, technological, and demographic forces have molded how work is organized, the current changes seem more pronounced. In recent years, the populations of many nations have aged, and gender differences have been bridged, with women joining the workforce in large numbers. These trends combined with rapid reductions in certain types of transaction costs such as labor monitoring costs that are accommodated by technological advances, have altered organizational practices making work operations more flexible. We use the term work flexibility to describe several work practices that are changing, including flexible work hours, flexible schedules, work load sharing through new work arrangements, work space fluidity, and work scope broadening. Work flexibility is often also sought by workers who seek to address their personal and family needs, including child care, eldercare, schooling, and healthcare. Sometimes, the nature of a job itself calls for flexibility as is the case in creative professions.

Work flexibility may have positive and negative consequences for both workers and employers. For workers, it often provides a sense of job control, increased engagement, and increased job satisfaction, thereby improving their health and well-being. However, studies show that the blurring of the line between work and non-work life comes with negative consequences for workers and their families. Employers benefit from engaged workers who is more productive. While work flexibility may result in lower employer costs associated with turnover, absenteeism, and presenteeism, it may also result in employers incurring costs.

We have a limited understanding of the global trends in work flexibility. Available data shows that 10% to 35% of European workers use flexible work spaces. Approximately 20% of the workers in the United States have access to work flexibility, depending on the definition of the term.

This symposium brings together a group of researchers from various countries dealing with diverse aspects of flexible work organization in the new economy. The symposium will include presentations on five studies. The first study focuses on work flexibility trends in the United States and the potential effects of work flexibility on the future of work. The second study describes the effects of work flexibility on worker well-being, using several years data from the United States. The third study presents a review of flexible work practices and its consequences for European economies. The fourth study describes the effects of an activity-based flexible office structure on distractions and whether changes in distractions are related to various outcomes, including engagement, job satisfaction, and fatigue.

Comparing work flexibility prevalence and trends across continents and investigating the health and well-being impacts of work flexibility across cultures may help to better understand its role on the future of work.

CHAIR
Tapas Ray
NIOSH, CINCINNATI, USA
DISCUSSANT
Naomi Swanson
NIOSH, CINCINNATI, USA

IN THIS SYMPOSIUM

Work flexibility trends in the United States and the potential effects of work flexibility on the future of work
Regina Pana-Cryan
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC, USA

Work flexibility and work-related well-being
Tapas Ray
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Cincinnati, USA

Flexible work practices and its consequences in European economies
Aditya Jain
Nottingham University Business School, Nottigham, United Kingdom

Moving to activity based flexible office: Effects on work-related outcomes in a longitudinal study
Bettina Kubicek1, Sabina Hodzic, Christian Korunka
University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria