FLEX MATTERS and Work Revolution

May 1, 2010

IT'S OFFICIAL WORK'S CHANGED FOR GOOD: HISTORY IN THE MAKING

It seems fitting that today on May Day, a time when we think about laborers' and workers' rights, and the beginning of the 8 hour work week that American workers demanded in 1886, that we take note of an historic event that happened a month ago that you might have missed.  The event, though symbolic,  seems to be ushering in a new era where workers' rights and business success are not thought of in such us vs. them 19th century terms.

The event we're referring to was a first of its kind White House Forum on Flexibility that brought together business leaders, advocates, flex experts and government leaders to talk about flex being a game changer in business.

DID YOU SAY GAME CHANGER?

We can hear the groans now! A game changer you say? Ha! Flex work has been around a long time, so what's new? What's radical about a business perk?

What is new is that the President of the United States, influential White House insiders/ Senior Advisors like Valerie Jarrett, the Director of the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Secretary of Labor, the Counsel of Economic Advisors, labor leaders and advocates, as well as leaders from the Fortune 500 seem to feel that we are at the cusp of a radically  different era in work--one that centers around our human capital and giving greater control to workers in regard to when, where and how work gets done. Science, business and economic research also seems to be converging in support of similar change (See Dan Pink's work).

 FLEX REVOLUTION

What was most striking about the event to us was that the forum was largely about flex as a business bottom-line imperative.

The remarks by President and Mrs. Obama and others in the opening and closing sessions were candid and often surprisingly personal. They told of their own family struggles related to work/life (and acknowledged their current privilege). But all firmly, and convincingly, advocated for change to maintain business' competitive edge.

Director Berry told the assembled that we were, in fact, at the start of a FLEX REVOLUTION.

Berry's walking-the-walk by piloting a program in his own department to use one of the most extreme forms of flex work options--the Results Only Work Environment or ROWE where every worker essentially has control over his/her own schedule.

When it comes to flex the participants were clearly also not talkin' about your momma's mommy track; nor were they throwing the baby out with the bathwater. They spoke about flex for all sizes of companies and all sectors, from manufacturing to the airline industry, and from assembly lines and hourly workers to global companies and dispersed knowledge workers.

Comments throughout the day focused on families and generational and gender challenges in a natural and healthy way, but the forum conveners made it clear that the focus on families was not the only point to be made. Business was acknowledged to be a fundamentally human endeavor AND the leaders noted, when the humans who work with and for you do well so does your business, and they gave many examples of impressive business success.

Flex, we were reminded, positively impacts every aspect of business--allowing us to save money, reduce turnover, increase productivity, make customers happy, avoid layoffs, improve the culture, better the health of workers, reduce stress and health care costs, save the environment, etc....no small potatoes! This suggests that flex can no longer be considered an after thought for business but rather a starting point.

Flex is certainly not a panacea for the significant and ongoing challenges faced by management and labor. It doesn't address the myriad troubles facing our recovering economy. And as far as policies go, the United States remains ranked dead last among developing nations when it comes to government support of working families, leaving US businesses to deal with a range of family related challenges and burdens that are unique.

But despite the many challenges, this White House event does seem to signal an enormous shift in perspective that we think bears noting --and certainly bears further discussion whatever your political inclination or position.

IS FLEX THE NEW EMAIL?

We've got the video of the closing session of the forum in several places on our site and at the bottom of this post because while you may have missed it before you got here, we really don't want you to miss it while you ARE here. As a business leader, HR professional, advocate, consultant,  employee, or job seeker, we're eager to hear your opinion and your experiences with flex work options. Let us know what you think after you watch or read more about the event.

Will we look back on the pre-flex era in a few years, as Director Berry suggests in his introduction of the President, like we do now on the pre-email era, as a quaint and radically less effective time in our the history of work? Will we also look back on it as a turning point in the complex history between workers and management?

We're betting we will.