The workplace flexibility debate has long been at the forefront of the changing job landscape in the United States. In Australia, the topic appears to be increasingly heating up, both in the media in general and on blogs that offer insight on how flexibility and technology are changing the modern workplace.

In a recent back-and-forth debate in Australia, one of the central arguments is whether work flexibility is a right that should be available to all or an option available only to employees who’ve earned the privilege.

Here are some highlights of the workplace flexibility debate in Australia:

Deciding who has the right to work from home.

A recent article posted on B&T, a business-to-business publishing platform, suggested that “workplace flexibility is a privilege, not a right.” The premise of the article appeared to intensify the debate about whether it might be time to “pull back the reins” on offering work-from-home options.

While acknowledging that virtual work is here to stay, the author said that working from home “is something that should be earned through experience, maturity, trust, need and seniority.” Virtual work options should be tightly controlled, although the author thought that certain exceptions could be made— for example, for mothers working from home.

Increased productivity is part of the equation.

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The original article elicited an immediate response about how workplace flexibility correlates to high performance and increased productivity of at-home workers. Companies offering remote work options were not only forward-thinking, but benefited from “impressive financial results,” the piece noted.

In refuting the idea that flexible work options have to be earned by a select few, the author noted numerous studies that show how remote work can boost worker productivity—and can enhance the bottom line for employers. ”

There are literally hundreds of extensive studies and research out of Harvard, MIT, Sloan School of Management and Cambridge to name a few that make a direct correlation to workplace productivity and workplace flexibility,” the article noted.

The debate in Australia highlights some hard-and-fast truths about the workplace flexibility debate, including:

Workplace flexibility is here to stay.

If there’s any doubt, employers who might be asking “why go remote” should consider the many reasons why offering remote options makes sense. Those reasons include saving money by reducing overhead, increasing productivity, and staying competitive in the global workplace.

Parents aren’t the only workers seeking flexibility.

Increasingly, savvy employers weighing whether workplace flexibility is a strategy or a perk understand that it’s a smart corporate strategy to offer flexible job options, including remote, part-time, and alternative schedules. By embracing workplace flexibility, employers can cast a wider net and attract not only working parents, but millennials, retirees, and workers looking for additional income from part-time jobs.

Workplace flexibility helps employers stay competitive.

What employer doesn’t want to hire the best employees possible? Understanding how technology plays a role in building a great team is key to remaining competitive in the global workforce. Companies who want to build a remote team or expand virtual and flexible job opportunities can benefit from taking a strategic hiring approach that makes them more appealing to a broad pool of great applicants.

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Readers, where do you stand on the workplace flexibility debate? Is remote work a privilege that should be earned, or should it be an option available to all employees? Comment below to let us know.

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