<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>How one hospital achieved flexi-work
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MUCH has been said recently about work-life flexibility. The discussion is an important one for society, and I would like to reframe this discussion - beyond working mothers - so we can consider the larger issues at hand.
Work-life flexibility should be considered and leveraged upon as a business strategy. There is a strong business case for work-life flexibility as it attracts and retains talent across the board - not just for working mothers. Work-life flexibility makes business sense because it is the one key strategy that will increase staff engagement, commitment and productivity. I know this first-hand.
As the former HR director of KK Women's and Children's Hospital, I was privileged to be part of the team that implemented groundbreaking work-life initiatives in the 800-bed hospital. Our efforts won the HRM Award for Best Work-Life Balance Practices, and our success was documented in a book aptly entitled Working Together - The Story Of KK Hospital.
We had a 2,000-strong workforce in the 24/7 health-care industry that understandably had little margin for error in service execution and delivery. Yet we implemented work-life strategies that broke out of the conventions of the day and the industry. We introduced the 12-hour shift and the four-day work week for nurses, as well as flexi-work options for staff who needed it - not just working mothers.
The results spoke for themselves:
- The staff attrition rate was almost halved, plunging from 17.1 per cent in 2001 to 9.9 per cent in 2004.
- Savings on overtime were seen across units.
- The number of days taken for medical leave dropped significantly.
- There was improved productivity, workflow, procedures and systems.
- Many valuable staff with skills and experience were retained.
- 85 per cent of the staff who participated in the employee opinion survey indicated that the company's work-life initiatives were an important factor affecting their decision to continue working in the hospital.
- The organisation gained a reputation as an enlightened and caring employer, even as it maintained its reputation for clinical expertise and high quality of health care.
- Overall, the organisation reaped the benefits of improved productivity, increased commitment, and improved recruitment and retention of its employees.
Most important, all these were achieved without increasing human resource costs. In the process of implementation, no additions were made to the headcount. All this goes to show that work-life flexibility works - not only as talent attraction and retention strategy, but also as an opportunity to streamline operations, reduce low-value work, and maximise investments where it counts the most.
There is no denying that implementing work-life flexibility is hard work.
First, a mindset change is required: Companies and organisations need to transit from being rigid and time-driven, to being flexible enough to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce.
Second, managers need to be equipped to manage flexibility, while meeting work targets and output goals. In fact, moving forward, the ability to implement and manage work-life flexibility in a diverse workforce will be an increasingly critical management skill.
However, the cost of not embracing work-life flexibility is probably higher. Companies stand to lose their talented staff to more enlightened employers who are willing to trade flexibility for increased engagement; families will be impoverished as parents slave away for long hours in the office; and society will pay the ultimate cost.
Cheryl Liew-Chng (Ms)
CEO, LifeWorkz
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MUCH has been said recently about work-life flexibility. The discussion is an important one for society, and I would like to reframe this discussion - beyond working mothers - so we can consider the larger issues at hand.
Work-life flexibility should be considered and leveraged upon as a business strategy. There is a strong business case for work-life flexibility as it attracts and retains talent across the board - not just for working mothers. Work-life flexibility makes business sense because it is the one key strategy that will increase staff engagement, commitment and productivity. I know this first-hand.
As the former HR director of KK Women's and Children's Hospital, I was privileged to be part of the team that implemented groundbreaking work-life initiatives in the 800-bed hospital. Our efforts won the HRM Award for Best Work-Life Balance Practices, and our success was documented in a book aptly entitled Working Together - The Story Of KK Hospital.
We had a 2,000-strong workforce in the 24/7 health-care industry that understandably had little margin for error in service execution and delivery. Yet we implemented work-life strategies that broke out of the conventions of the day and the industry. We introduced the 12-hour shift and the four-day work week for nurses, as well as flexi-work options for staff who needed it - not just working mothers.
The results spoke for themselves:
- The staff attrition rate was almost halved, plunging from 17.1 per cent in 2001 to 9.9 per cent in 2004.
- Savings on overtime were seen across units.
- The number of days taken for medical leave dropped significantly.
- There was improved productivity, workflow, procedures and systems.
- Many valuable staff with skills and experience were retained.
- 85 per cent of the staff who participated in the employee opinion survey indicated that the company's work-life initiatives were an important factor affecting their decision to continue working in the hospital.
- The organisation gained a reputation as an enlightened and caring employer, even as it maintained its reputation for clinical expertise and high quality of health care.
- Overall, the organisation reaped the benefits of improved productivity, increased commitment, and improved recruitment and retention of its employees.
Most important, all these were achieved without increasing human resource costs. In the process of implementation, no additions were made to the headcount. All this goes to show that work-life flexibility works - not only as talent attraction and retention strategy, but also as an opportunity to streamline operations, reduce low-value work, and maximise investments where it counts the most.
There is no denying that implementing work-life flexibility is hard work.
First, a mindset change is required: Companies and organisations need to transit from being rigid and time-driven, to being flexible enough to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce.
Second, managers need to be equipped to manage flexibility, while meeting work targets and output goals. In fact, moving forward, the ability to implement and manage work-life flexibility in a diverse workforce will be an increasingly critical management skill.
However, the cost of not embracing work-life flexibility is probably higher. Companies stand to lose their talented staff to more enlightened employers who are willing to trade flexibility for increased engagement; families will be impoverished as parents slave away for long hours in the office; and society will pay the ultimate cost.
Cheryl Liew-Chng (Ms)
CEO, LifeWorkz
