PRESS RELEASE: Employee Empowerment: How flexible working hours are changing the work environment

Employee Empowerment: How flexible working hours are changing the work environment

Flexible work arrangements have been brought to the forefront thanks to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Most businesses were forced to implement flexible work options for their employees due to the movement restrictions and stay-at-home orders issued by the Australian government, most of them unprepared for the shift.

“Workplace disruption due to COVID-19 is unavoidable for businesses across all geographies and industries,” says Cameron Woodford, CEO of app development software company Appello. “Those that successfully manage the disruption will not only be well-positioned to maintain business operations throughout the pandemic, but they’ll be better prepared for future crises, too.”

Leading the change
In addition to Facebook, Google and Twitter, many prominent companies have offered their workers the option of indefinite remote work—or for an extended period. “Businesses have a greater responsibility than ever to help shape workplace culture and behaviours now that more and more employees are working from home,” says Woodford.

Appello has a remote workforce of 50 staff in 15 locations around the world and the entire team has worked remotely since the company’s launch four years ago. “At Appello, we don’t want to work normal jobs, at work we want to feel motivated, empowered, fulfilled and valued with enough flexibility to create the lifestyle we want for ourselves,” Woodford explains. “We are more than a software company; we are a community of talented innovators, learners, teachers and seekers of amazing futures.”

The secret to success for any remote working team, however, is a strong organisational structure. “With strong processes and systems in place, people can work anywhere,” he says.

Airtasker surveyed about 1000 full-time employees in the US of which 50% worked remotely. They compared everything from their productivity to health and even their spending habits to determine whether working from the home or from the office is better.

“Working from home usually provides employees with greater autonomy over how and when they work, and also how they manage their lives and other responsibilities,” Woodford says. “Employers can experience cost savings, improved attendance and productivity, and an increase in employee engagement.”

Flexible work structures will enhance recruiting and retention initiatives even in the absence of a pandemic, increase organisational diversity efforts, foster ethical behaviour, and assist the efforts of the company to be socially responsible.

Offering flexible work arrangements may become even more commonplace now that businesses have experienced how successful remote working can be for their company or how work hours that differ from the normal 9-to-5 can be adopted without lower productivity. “Though it may represent a massive shift in how you’ve done things before, embracing flexible scheduling now will help you succeed in the future,” Woodford concludes.
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Michelle Badenhorst, Marketing Manager, [email protected]

More about Appello
Appello is one of the leading software providers in Australia and Asia-Pacific. Providing fast and effective software solutions for a wide range of industries and sectors.

Website: https://appello.com.au/
LinkedIn: @Appello Software
Facebook: @AppelloAgency
Instagram: @Appello_Software
Dribbble: @Appello