In your never-ending search for ways to stave off rising healthcare costs, don’t rule out this option: Giving employees more control over their work schedules.
There’s evidence out there that this is a very effective tactic.
In fact, a systematic review of 10 studies by the Cochrane Collaboration that studied the effects of different work arrangements revealed that workers who have more control of their own work schedules see improvements in both their mental and physical health.
These improvement lead to fewer overall medical claims.
The Cochrane Collaboration research found that employees with flexible work schedule enjoyed:
- fewer incidences of high blood pressure
- better sleep, and
- better mental health.
Another selling point: The research found that workers with flexible schedules are more alert than those with rigid, set-in-stone schedules.
Readers with flexible work schedules: Do you agree with these findings? How have these work schedules affected your company?