Don’t Panic
FMX Magazine 26/09/2009
The recession may tempt managers to clamp down on staff and reverse moves towards flexible working. Don’t do it, says Paul Statham
Space planning is not generally one of the first issues tackled by companies treading water during a recession. Many employers will traditionally opt to close ranks, rein-in staff, micro manage and, in many cases, make redundancies, meaning that the workplace becomes an increasingly volatile, tense and unhealthy environment. Organisations that had previously embraced the advent of the mobile workforce and flexible working will often start to demand that employees revert to standard workplace practice and report in to work every day, nine to five. Employers may well insist on greater staff visibility, and employees in turn will be on a constant mission to prove themselves irreplaceable.
But companies should think twice before adopting such defensive tactics. Too many employers tend to press the panic button, but withdrawing from a flexible working scheme is not necessarily the best answer to surviving the harsh economic climate.
In this day and age, most employees are attracted to roles that will allow them to work flexibly from time to time. Backtracking on company ethos and suddenly changing working culture in this way can destroy staff morale and sever the relationship and trust that exists between a company and its staff. As soon as the job market picks up, the talent that was carefully selected, trained and invested in will depart for pastures new and this will be an irreversible trend.
Space planning is no panacea during these tough times, but facilities managers should be the first to understand that effective space planning can help to cut costs without having a negative impact on employees. In many cases the annual running costs of two or three fixed desks can equate to the annual salary of one employee, so essentially the more flexible working and desk booking adopted, the more jobs can potentially be saved. In this respect, flexible working can save companies money and reduce the need to make needless redundancies.
Most companies who use desk utilisation reporting will probably discover that they waste up to 40 per cent of their office space through low occupancy. FMs should carefully monitor space utilisation. If there are workstations that are predominantly unoccupied throughout the working week, they could be disposed of as they consume energy and drain company resources. In situations where vast numbers of desks are not being used, real estate can be divested and the money can be pumped back into the business. Persisting with flexi-working and desk booking to help optimise office space is an extremely cost-effective solution for businesses.
During the recession, the last thing that any organisation needs is a disgruntled, indifferent and disaffected workforce, which is what you get if you take away privileges and keep close tabs on staff. Workers will always perform efficiently and effectively if they are treated with respect and given greater freedom – part and parcel of a flexible working scheme. Instead of tampering with this, organisations should assess how space planning could bring along changes and help cut costs before coming down hard on employees. Facilities managers should play a vital role in this process.
Further information
Paul Statham is founder of Condeco and MD of RNM Systems, a specialist in workspace management and booking solutions. Its Condeco software suite, recent winner of BIFM’s Technology Award, provides meeting room booking, desk booking, car parking and visitor management, through one centralised web-based application.
www.condeco.co.uk