[Australia] The impact of ‘flexidus’ on employers in 2024

A new employment trend or buzzword is doing the rounds on social media but beneath the chatter, there is a broader implication for employers. HRD reports on the ‘flexidus’ phenomenon and considers its potential impact.

Dr Melissa Wheeler - senior lecturer in the Graduate School of Business and Law at RMIT - defines the term and explores its ramifications, explaining that the term ‘flexidus’ combines the phrases flexible work arrangements and exodus

“[It means] that employees who aren't receiving the kind of flexible work that they've become accustomed to or expect, are going to be leaving in masses,” Dr Wheeler told HRD Australia.

Such employees will reportedly look for other organisations offering the level of flexibility they have become used to.

“They've adjusted their lives and they need that level to be able to flourish in aspects that are outside of just the work environment,” she said.

Flexible working arrangements

Several organisations - including Commonwealth Bank and Amazon - have called for either a full or partial return to office, moving away from remote working opportunities imposed during the pandemic.

“The reactions that we've seen to these flexible work or return to work mandates has been quite negative, and in some ways, almost paradoxical or oxymoronic when we see companies like Zoom, and Meta, Google - the leaders of different kinds of remote working or online presences or virtual tools to connect with others - are part of the ones who are asking for these returns to work,” Dr Wheeler said.

She reportedly added that there is a disconnect in the way employers and employees view flexible working arrangements.

“From a manager's point of view, their job was easier when they could see everyone, when they could walk through the rows of cubicles or…open spaces and have access to all their employees at the same time all day long,” she said. “If a client called and had a question, I could pop right over to that person's desk and say, ‘Can you answer that right away’.

“Now, that kind of immediacy has been replaced by other kinds of concessions that are a little bit more favourable to the worker side. So the worker’s flexibility is perhaps being recognised and acknowledged more so than the convenience to the manager to have that presenteeism.”

Return to work mandates

Dr Wheeler went on to highlight for HRD Australia the importance of acknowledging the different ways employers are approaching a return to work mandate.     

“We give them a lot of criticism around the return-to-work mandates. But I think what should be acknowledged is the fact that most organisations aren't saying return to the office five days a week, from nine till five exactly, or much later in some cases. There has been already a shift to the time in which people start, the number of ways that they can work remotely, opportunities to travel overseas either for work or for visiting family when maybe a family member is sick. When you can continue to do the job that you're doing except remotely for some period of time.

“So I think that while we can be uber critical, it's important to also acknowledge that advances have been made and workers do have more opportunities to be able to do childcare drop-offs and pickups and continue to work later in the day.”

Additionally, alternate ways to work flexibly are beginning to appear, including the introduction of a four-day workweek. Companies such as Ikea and Medibank are reportedly among the businesses either mandating or trialling this work style.

“With all of that in mind, I think that organisations need to signal the right things,” Dr Wheeler said. “So if they are willing to boost their flexible options, make sure they plaster that all over job advertisements because then they'll be collecting those kinds of people who are attracted to those jobs.”  

Source: HRD

(Quotes via original reporting)

A new employment trend or buzzword is doing the rounds on social media but beneath the chatter, there is a broader implication for employers. HRD reports on the ‘flexidus’ phenomenon and considers its potential impact.

Dr Melissa Wheeler - senior lecturer in the Graduate School of Business and Law at RMIT - defines the term and explores its ramifications, explaining that the term ‘flexidus’ combines the phrases flexible work arrangements and exodus

“[It means] that employees who aren't receiving the kind of flexible work that they've become accustomed to or expect, are going to be leaving in masses,” Dr Wheeler told HRD Australia.

Such employees will reportedly look for other organisations offering the level of flexibility they have become used to.

“They've adjusted their lives and they need that level to be able to flourish in aspects that are outside of just the work environment,” she said.

Flexible working arrangements

Several organisations - including Commonwealth Bank and Amazon - have called for either a full or partial return to office, moving away from remote working opportunities imposed during the pandemic.

“The reactions that we've seen to these flexible work or return to work mandates has been quite negative, and in some ways, almost paradoxical or oxymoronic when we see companies like Zoom, and Meta, Google - the leaders of different kinds of remote working or online presences or virtual tools to connect with others - are part of the ones who are asking for these returns to work,” Dr Wheeler said.

She reportedly added that there is a disconnect in the way employers and employees view flexible working arrangements.

“From a manager's point of view, their job was easier when they could see everyone, when they could walk through the rows of cubicles or…open spaces and have access to all their employees at the same time all day long,” she said. “If a client called and had a question, I could pop right over to that person's desk and say, ‘Can you answer that right away’.

“Now, that kind of immediacy has been replaced by other kinds of concessions that are a little bit more favourable to the worker side. So the worker’s flexibility is perhaps being recognised and acknowledged more so than the convenience to the manager to have that presenteeism.”

Return to work mandates

Dr Wheeler went on to highlight for HRD Australia the importance of acknowledging the different ways employers are approaching a return to work mandate.     

“We give them a lot of criticism around the return-to-work mandates. But I think what should be acknowledged is the fact that most organisations aren't saying return to the office five days a week, from nine till five exactly, or much later in some cases. There has been already a shift to the time in which people start, the number of ways that they can work remotely, opportunities to travel overseas either for work or for visiting family when maybe a family member is sick. When you can continue to do the job that you're doing except remotely for some period of time.

“So I think that while we can be uber critical, it's important to also acknowledge that advances have been made and workers do have more opportunities to be able to do childcare drop-offs and pickups and continue to work later in the day.”

Additionally, alternate ways to work flexibly are beginning to appear, including the introduction of a four-day workweek. Companies such as Ikea and Medibank are reportedly among the businesses either mandating or trialling this work style.

“With all of that in mind, I think that organisations need to signal the right things,” Dr Wheeler said. “So if they are willing to boost their flexible options, make sure they plaster that all over job advertisements because then they'll be collecting those kinds of people who are attracted to those jobs.”  

Source: HRD

(Quotes via original reporting)