shrm survey findings: strategic benefits - flexible work arrangements

January 22, 2015

SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Strategic Benefits—

Flexible Work Arrangements

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Introduction

2014 Strategic Benefits Survey—Flexible Work Arrangements ©SHRM 2015

The 2014 Strategic Benefits Survey, administered annually since 2012 by the Society for Human

Resource Management (SHRM), is used to determine whether various employee benefits are

leveraged to recruit and retain top talent. This research study, split into a six-part series, features the

following topics:

Part 1: Wellness Initiatives

Part 2: Flexible Work Arrangements

Part 3: Health Care

Part 4: Leveraging Benefits to Retain Employees

Part 5: Leveraging Benefits to Recruit Employees

Part 6: Communicating Benefits

The first three parts are being released on January 22, 2015; the second three parts will be released in

early March 2015.

• Availability and use of flexible work arrangements (FWAs): About one-half (52%) of

respondents indicated their organization provided employees with the option to use FWAs.

» In one-third (33%) of organizations that provided employees with the option to use FWAs, the

majority (more than one-half) of employees at their organization were allowed to use FWAs, a

decrease from 2013 (45%), but no change from 2012 (34%).

• Employee use of FWAs: About one-third (31%) of respondents from organizations that provided

employees with the option to use FWAs indicated employee participation increased last year

compared with the year before; just 1% indicated employee participation had decreased.

» Over two-fifths (45%) indicated their organization monitored employee participation rates for

the FWAs offered, representing an increase from 2012 (38%).


Key Findings


• The use of FWAs by employees is on the rise, and this may be a sign that cultural barriers to using

available flexible work options may be becoming less formidable. More employees may feel

comfortable using the FWAs they have access to if the job market continues to improve and

concerns about job security diminish. In addition, technological barriers are also less of an obstacle,

making it possible to seamlessly do one’s work from anywhere.

• Although about one-half of organizations provided employees with the option to use FWAs, there

was a drop in the percentage of organizations reporting that the majority of their employees were

actually allowed to use FWAs. It is important to understand the obstacles that may be affecting the

employee use of FWAs provided by organizations. If this trend continues, a “have” and “have-nots”

pattern of access to FWAs could develop. This could, in turn, have an impact on employee morale

and engagement.

• HR professionals will, however, need to continue to focus on cultural barriers that may influence

participation rates. In particular, HR professionals need to work with line managers and

organizational leaders to model flexibility in their own approaches to work and to demonstrate that

those who do make use of FWAs are not penalized when it comes to promotions and career

opportunities.

• Over two-fifths of respondents from organizations that offer FWAs indicated their organization

monitored employee participation rates for FWAs offered. This metric is likely to become a standard

part of any organization reporting on workplace flexibility.

What Do These Findings Mean for the HR Profession?


Key Findings

FWAs

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What do these findings mean for the HR profession?Availability and Use of FWAs

Are the majority (more than one-half) of

employees at your organization allowed to use

FWAs?

Does your organization provide employees with

the option to use FWAs?

Note: Response options provided were “yes/no/not sure.”

Respondents who indicated they were “not sure” were

excluded from this analysis. Only “yes” responses are shown.

52%

57%

53%

Yes

2014 (n = 328, 164)

2013 (n = 382, 207)

2012 (n = 414, 210)

Note: Response options provided were “yes/no/not sure.” Only respondents

whose organizations provided employees with the option to use FWAs were

asked this question. Respondents who indicated they were “not sure” were



33%

45%

34%

Yes

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What do these findings mean for the HR profession?Employee Participation in and Monitoring the Use of FWAs

Does your organization monitor employee

participation rates for the FWAs it offers?

How did employee participation in your

organization’s FWAs change last year compared

with the year before?

Note: Only respondents whose organizations provided employees with

the option to use FWAs were asked this question. Respondents who

indicated they were “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

Note: Response options provided were “yes/no/not sure.” Only respondents

whose organizations provided employees with the option to use FWAs were

asked this question. Respondents who indicated they were “not sure” were



45%

47%

38%

Yes

31%

68%

1%

33%

61%

6%

36%

58%

6%

Increased

Remained the same

Decreased2014 (n = 144, 154)

2013 (n = 179, 187)

2012 (n = 192, 198)

2014 Strategic Benefits Survey—Flexible Work Arrangements ©SHRM 2015 8

Key Findings

Demographics

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Note: n = 320. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.


Percentage

Manufacturing 27%

Professional, scientific and technical services 14%

Health care and social assistance 14%

Finance and insurance 12%

Government agencies 9%

Educational services 7%

Transportation and warehousing 5%

Construction 5%

Real estate and rental and leasing 5%

Retail trade 4%

Utilities 3%

Demographics: Organization Industry



Note: n = 320. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.

Percentage

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 3%

Arts, entertainment and recreation 3%

Wholesale trade 3%

Repair and maintenance 3%

Accommodation and food services 2%

Administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services 2%

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 2%

Information 2%

Religious, grant-making, civic, professional and similar organizations 2%

Personal and laundry services 0%

Other industry 8%

Demographics: Organization Industry (Continued)


Demographics: Organization Sector


n = 317


53%

23%

13%

9%

2%

Privately owned for-profit

Nonprofit

Publicly owned for-profit

Government

Nonprofit

Demographics: Organization Staff Size

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n = 304


26%

39%

19%

12%

4%

1 to 99 employees

100 to 499 employees

500 to 2,499 employees

2,500 to 24,999 employees

25,000 or more employees


n = 319

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U.S.-based operations only 75%

Multinational operations 25%

Single-unit organization: An organization in

which the location and the organization are

one and the same.

38%

Multi-unit organization: An organization that

has more than one location.62%

Multi-unit headquarters determines HR

policies and practices.58%

Each work location determines HR policies

and practices.3%

A combination of both the work location and

the multi-unit headquarters determines HR

policies and practices.

39%

Is your organization a single-unit organization or

a multi-unit organization?

For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and

practices determined by the multi-unit headquarters,

by each work location or by both?

Does your organization have U.S.-

based operations (business units) only,

or does it operate multinationally?

n = 320

n = 207

Corporate (companywide) 79%

Business unit/division 12%

Facility/location 9%

n = 208

What is the HR department/function for

which you responded throughout this

survey?


Demographics: Other

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Survey Methodology

• Response rate = 10%

• 380 HR professionals from a randomly selected sample of SHRM’s membership participated in this

survey

• Margin of error +/- 5%

• Survey fielded April-May 2014


Survey Methodology

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About SHRM Research

For more survey/poll findings, visit shrm.org/surveys

For more information about SHRM’s Customized Research Services, visit

shrm.org/customizedresearch

Follow us on Twitter @SHRM_Research

Project lead:

Karen Wessels, researcher, SHRM Research

Project contributors:

Evren Esen, director, Survey Programs, SHRM Research

Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., vice president, SHRM Research

Jennifer Schramm, manager, Workforce Trends and Forecasting, SHRM Research

Copy editor:

Katya Scanlan, SHRM Knowledge Center


http://www.shrm.org/surveys

http://www.shrm.org/customizedresearch

http://twitter.com/SHRM_Research

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Founded in 1948, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the

world’s largest HR membership organization devoted to human resource management.

Representing more than 275,000 members in over 160 countries, the Society is the

leading provider of resources to serve the needs of HR professionals and advance the

professional practice of human resource management. SHRM has more than 575

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United Arab Emirates. Visit us at shrm.org.

About SHRM


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shrm survey findings: strategic benefits - flexible work arrangements

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