According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), more flexible working arrangements, such as those practiced during the Covid 19 crisis, are good for the economy, for companies and for workers.
In a report published on Friday, the ILO examines the impact of working hours on company performance and work-life balance.
“This report shows that by putting the lessons of the Covid-19 crisis into practice and observing in detail how working hours are structured, as well as their length as a whole, we can create a ‘win-win’ scenario by improving both business performance and work-life balance,” said Jon Messenger, lead author of the study.
The report examines the crisis response measures taken by governments and businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic to help keep various businesses running and jobs secure, noting that the increase in the number of workers on short-time work helped has to prevent job losses.
According to the ILO, the measures taken during the Covid-19 crisis provide new evidence that giving workers more flexibility over how, where and when they work, for example through the Improving Productivity.
Conversely, the ILO said in a statement that restricting flexibility entails significant costs, including increased staff turnover.
“There is ample evidence that work-life balance policies result in significant benefits for businesses, and this supports the argument that such policies are indeed a ‘win-win’ scenario,” the report said.
However, the ILO emphasizes that while teleworking helps to maintain employment and creates a new framework for workers’ autonomy, it – like other forms of flexible working arrangements – requires regulations aimed at limiting their potential negative effects through policies “Right to Disconnect”.
According to the report, a significant proportion of the global workforce works outside of the standard eight-hour day (or 40 hours per week). More than a third regularly work more than 48 hours a week and a fifth less than 35 hours a week.