12 powerful examples of flexibility at work

Workplace flexibility enables employees to decide where, when, and how they work and allows employers to meet diverse employee needs and boost engagement while driving productivity and business performance. This article covers 12 practical examples of flexibility at work across three categories: location, time, and working models. To make flexibility successful, invest in the right workplace technology, train managers to lead flexibly, foster a culture of trust and autonomy, and regularly refine your setup based on feedback and data.

What is flexibility in the workplace?

Flexibility at work means giving your employees the freedom to choose where, when, and how they want to work, while still meeting your business goals. It’s about building a setup that helps everyone perform at their peak, not forcing everyone into the same mold. You can introduce flexible work arrangements in several ways:

• Location flexibility: Let your team decide where they work, whether that’s from home, a coworking space, or the office. You don’t have to go fully remote to see a positive impact. Even a few remote days can boost focus and satisfaction.
• Time flexibility: Ditch the rigid 9-to-5 mindset. If someone is more productive from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., why not let them? When people work during their natural energy peaks, output and morale both rise.
• ‍Working model flexibility: Offer arrangements like part-time roles, job sharing, or phased retirement. These options help you retain great talent and meet employees where they are in life.

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What are examples of location flexibility at work?

Location flexibility lets your employees choose their work location, whether that’s their home office, the actual office, or a third workplace. Let’s look at the most common examples and what makes each one work.

1. Full remote work model

A full remote setup allows employees to work entirely outside the office, which can be either from home, a café, or anywhere else that has internet access. This type of flexibility can be particularly attractive to job applicants who prefer to work from home, enjoy changing their work environment regularly, or live in a different city or country from their employer.

Pros of a fully remote setup:‍

• Better work-life balance and productivity peaks
• No commute and reduced costs for both sides
• Access to a wider talent pool
  

Cons of a fully remote setup:‍

• Risk of isolation and weaker team connection
• Harder to maintain company culture
• Blurred work-life boundaries

2. Full office work model

In a full office setup, employees work on-site daily, but you can still make it flexible by adding adaptable practices like flexitime or phased retirement. The traditional office remains valuable for face-to-face collaboration, instant communication, and team bonding. It’s especially effective for onboarding, mentoring, and roles that require access to office-based resources.

Pros of a full office setup:

• Strong collaboration and social connections
• Clear separation between work and personal life
• Easier access to mentorship and company resources
  

Cons of a full office setup:

• Daily commute and higher operational costs
• Office distractions and limited talent reach
• Less flexibility and lower work-life balance

3. Hybrid work model

A hybrid work model combines the best of remote and in-office work, letting employees split their time between both. This approach gives your team flexibility while preserving in-person collaboration. It also helps you attract diverse talent while optimizing office space.

Pros of a hybrid work model:

• Best of both worlds: flexibility and connection
• Better work-life balance and higher satisfaction
• Reduced commute and operational costs
  

Cons of a hybrid work model:

• Coordination challenges between teams
• Communication gaps between remote and on-site staff
• Managing space utilization efficiently can be tricky

🎥 Watch our 2-minute video to discover how deskbird effectively helps you manage your hybrid workplace and workforce!

4. Distributed work

Distributed work involves employees working from outside the traditional office. This can include working from home, a co-working space, or any other location with an Internet connection. Distributed teams have greater flexibility in their work environment. It is a valuable strategy for companies to save money on office space and related expenses.

Pros of distributed work:

• Access to a global talent pool
• Cost savings
• Higher productivity
• 24/7 operations (if employees work in different time zones)
• Reduced geographical constraints

Cons of distributed work:

• Risks of isolation
• Communication and coordination complexity
• Blurred work-life boundaries
• Difficulty creating workplace connection and team cohesion
• Risks of inequity

‍👉 Read our article about distributed teams to understand better the difference between this concept and remote work!

What are examples of time flexibility at work?

Time flexibility gives your team autonomy over when they work, allowing them to align work hours with personal routines, energy peaks, and non-work commitments. This leads to higher satisfaction, lower burnout, and better productivity across teams.

1. Flexitime and staggered hours (Asynchronous work)

Flexitime and staggered hours give employees more control over their working hours. Flextime allows team members to choose when they start and finish work as long as they work a set number of hours per day or week. Staggered hours, also known as asynchronous work, enable your staff to work at different times than their colleagues. This can be useful for people who need to accommodate personal commitments, such as picking up children from school.

Pros of asynchronous work:

• Higher engagement
• Better work-life balance
• Reduced absenteeism

Cons of asynchronous work: 

• More complex coordination
• Communication challenges

2. Compressed hours

Compressed hours, also called “condensed work week,” involve working the same number of hours in fewer days than usual. For example, an employee might work 10 hours a day over four days instead of five days of 8 hours to complete a 40-hour workweek. The main advantage of this example of flexibility at work is gaining an extra day off every week. 

Pros of compressed hours:

• Extended weekends
• Reduced commute
• Better work-life balance
• Lower absenteeism
• Office cost savings

Cons of compressed hours:

• Longer workdays
• Childcare challenges 
• Low flexibility on working days
• Potential health issues (extended hours of standing, sitting, or watching a screen)

3. Unlimited time-off

Unlimited time-off policies allow team members to take as much time off as they want as long as they complete their work responsibilities. This can be a valuable option for workers who need some time off for personal reasons, such as new training or employee burnout.

Pros of unlimited time off:

• Better talent attraction
• Increased trust
• Higher motivation and loyalty
• Reduced burnout
• Stronger company culture
• Greater employee experience and satisfaction

Cons of unlimited time off:

• Work coverage challenges
• Potential for abuse
• Risk of office space underutilization
• Inequity concerns
• Impact on team dynamics and productivity

4. Annual hours

Annual hours involve setting a total number of hours that need to be reached yearly rather than a fixed amount per week or month. Team members have more control over when they work. The only rule is to meet the required volume of hours by the end of the year. This can be useful for organizations as much as employees as people can decide to work more during busy seasons and take time off in slower periods.

Pros of annual hours:

• Smarter resource allocation
• Reduced overtime costs
• Lower absenteeism
• Higher productivity
• Balanced workloads
• Adaptability
• Enhanced employee autonomy and trust

Cons of annual hours:

• Complex scheduling
• Potential burnout during peak periods
• Communication challenges
• Impact on team cohesion 
• Work surge management

5. Shift swapping

Shift swapping involves employees trading shifts with one another to accommodate their schedules better. This can be a helpful option for companies outside of traditional business hours, such as those in the hospitality or healthcare industries. It can also be a valuable tool for team members with personal obligations requiring them to work non-standard hours.

Pros of shift swapping:

• Better work-life balance
• Reduced absenteeism
• Increased employee satisfaction
• Lower stress
• Operational continuity
• Responsive staffing
• Fewer scheduling conflicts
• Employee empowerment and trust

Cons of shift swapping:

• Scheduling complexity
• Communication gaps
• Risks of favoritism
• Workload imbalance
• Potential fraud

What are examples of flexibility at work based on working models?

Working model flexibility focuses on how work is structured, hence giving people options to adjust their employment model rather than just their hours. It’s a powerful way to retain diverse talent, improve inclusion, and ensure long-term employee engagement.

1. Part-time jobs

Part-time jobs involve working fewer hours than a full-time job. This can be an excellent option for employees who wish to work part-time due to private commitments or activities, such as caring for children, creating a side business, or volunteering for a cause. Part-time jobs can also be helpful for people who want to transition into retirement gradually.

Pros of part-time jobs:‍

• Cost savings
• Access to wider talent diversity
• Skill sharing
• Increased employee retention
• Operational efficiency
• Reduced absenteeism

Cons of part-time jobs:‍

• Reduced task continuity
• Lower commitment
• Higher training costs
• Coordination challenges

2. Job-sharing

Job-sharing is a flexible work arrangement where two employees share one full-time job. Each person typically works part-time, with their schedules overlapping to ensure continuity of work. This arrangement can benefit workers who need more flexibility in their agendas and companies looking to retain valuable talent who may be unable to work full-time hours.

Pros of job-sharing:

• Improved DEI&B in the workplace
• Skill and knowledge sharing
• Ensured continuity
• Talent retention

Cons of job-sharing:

• Coordination challenges
• Risks of miscommunication
• Inconsistent work styles
• Higher training costs
• Potentially unequal workload
• Compensation and benefits complexity

3. Phased retirement

Phased retirement is a flexible work arrangement that allows people to reduce their working hours as they gradually approach retirement age. This can benefit employees who wish to ease into retirement and companies who want to retain team members who may otherwise choose to retire. Phased retirement can also offer an excellent opportunity for knowledge transfer from older staff to younger ones.

Pros of phased retirement:

• Knowledge and skill transfer
• Retention of expertise
• Improved succession planning
• Reduced turnover costs

Cons of phased retirement: 

• Complex administration
• Benefits management
• Compensation adjustments
• Resistance to change

How to make workplace flexibility work

There’s no single formula for flexible work. Pick tools and policies that fit your team, train managers to lead flexibly, build a high-trust culture, and review what’s working on a regular basis. When you align tech, leadership, and feedback loops, any flexibility model you adopt will deliver results.

1. Use technology to support your flexible work model

Workplace technology makes flexibility possible. The right tools help your teams stay connected, manage their time, and optimize how they use workspace and resources. deskbird, for example, is a complete workplace management software that enables your staff to enjoy the best hybrid work experience.

• It lets employees book desks, plan their week, and join events easily.
• It allows you to effortlessly design and manage hybrid work policies.
• It integrates with your existing tools for a smoother hybrid experience.
• Workplace analytics create a data-driven foundation for long-term flexibility and help you optimize your office space.

📆 Start a free trial of the deskbird app to discover how easy hybrid work can be and how to provide the best workplace experience!

2. Learn from your competitors, but don’t copy them blindly

Benchmarking helps you stay competitive, but flexibility should reflect your culture and people. Copying another company’s approach rarely works. What you should focus on instead is to:

• Research what other businesses are doing to spot useful ideas.
• Involve employees when shaping your flexibility policy.
• Adjust to your organization’s size, structure, and values.
• Build something authentic that differentiates your workplace.

3. Train your managers to lead flexibly

To make flexibility thrive, managers need the right mindset and tools to lead teams that work from different locations and time zones. Focus on helping them manage by outcomes rather than hours, maintain team connection and culture remotely, and communicate clearly to avoid confusion or misalignment. Most importantly, teach them to build trust and step away from micromanagement to prevent its damaging psychological effects. When your managers know how to lead flexibly, they empower people to perform with confidence, independence, and a stronger sense of purpose.

4. Develop a culture of autonomy and trust

Flexibility only works when it’s built on trust and genuine empowerment. Encourage employees to manage their own time and results, replacing control with support and open communication. Promote respect for different work styles and rhythms, and use flexible models like hybrid-at-will or annualized hours to give people real autonomy over their work. When independence and accountability coexist, your culture becomes stronger because you build trust in the workplace.

5. Regularly check in with your teams and make adjustments

Flexibility isn’t one-size-fits-all. The key is to customize your approach by blending different types of flexibility to meet both your organization’s goals and your team’s individual needs and to keep adjusting as you go. What works today might not fit your team tomorrow, so continuous feedback is essential. To review your approach, you should:

• Gather employee input through employee satisfaction questionnaires, surveys and open discussions,
• Track engagement and productivity trends,
• Reassess policies at least once a year, and
• Adjust based on data and feedback to stay aligned with your workforce.

Why embracing workplace flexibility is the future of work

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing work environment, offering flexibility is no longer a luxury but a necessity. By allowing one or a mix of the above examples of flexibility at work, you can attract and retain top talent, boost satisfaction and productivity, and create a positive and employee-centric corporate culture.

At deskbird, we understand the importance of flexible work practices and the challenges that go with them. We’re here to help you manage your hybrid workplace effectively while developing the best employee experience. Request a free deskbird demo to embrace flexible office solutions and take the first step towards a more productive, satisfied, and engaged workforce.