Flexible work systems have been in operation for years, but now that so many workers are being forced to transition to work-from-home arrangements because of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it’s imperative to be as prepared as possible to deliver results while working remotely. With today’s advancements in technology and digital tools and resources readily available, it’s suggested that many employees can now work in any place, at any time, with no problems. The primary goal is to plan your work and work your plan to achieve results. The secondary goal is to continue remote working when the panic is over.

The current situation is a great opportunity to show the value of working from home from all perspectives. From the employer perspective, a positive ROI can be achieved if office space costs are avoided, employee morale is increased, and the spread of illness is decreased or prevented. Recent studies show major improvements in areas such as productivity, retention, and absenteeism. From the employee perspective, this is a definite win with increased flexibility, lower transportation costs, reduced stress, improved work-life balance, and added convenience. Given today’s travel bans and restrictions, working from home is the ideal solution. Additionally, environmentalists say that this is the most positive step an organization can take to proactively reduce their carbon footprint by reducing commuter traffic.

Patti and Jack Phillips have worked at home for over 20 years, along with many of the ROI Institute staff members, and they will share their experiences. There are barriers to making these arrangements work—such as manager resistance. Many managers must physically see employees to know they are working. Also, some managers may lack trust and are not fully prepared to manage remotely. For some employees, telecommuting may create a sense of loneliness and lack of engagement with their team or organization. Some employees may feel that their careers will suffer, or they will miss out on important opportunities if they work from home.

When these factors are considered and addressed properly as programs are designed, flexible work systems will be a win for the organization, the employees, and the environment. This session demonstrates the steps that can be taken to successfully show the value, including impact and a positive ROI.

Objectives
After attending this session, participants will be able to:
1. Explore how flexible work systems should be implemented and sustained.
2. Identify the success factors for working remotely.
3. Take the necessary steps to show the value of working remotely.

Every attendee to this webinar will receive a copy of the 30-page case study, “Measuring ROI in a Work-at-Home Program” from the book, Proving the Value of HR, 2nd edition by Jack and Patti Phillips, published by the Society for Human Resource Management.

Jack has been recognized and awarded for his work by numerous professional organizations. He, along with his business partner and wife, Patti Phillips, received the 2024 Thought Leader Award from the Association of Learning Providers (ISA), the 2022 Association for Talent Development (ATD) Thought Leader Award, and the 2019 Center for Talent Reporting Distinguished Contributor Award. In 2019, he was named among the top fifty coaches globally by the Thinkers50 organization and named a finalist for the Marshall Goldsmith Distinguished Achievement Award for Coaching. SHRM presented Jack with its highest creativity award for an ROI study and awarded an ROI Institute book with a best book award. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and Fortune magazine, and he has been interviewed by several television programs, including CNN.

Patti P. Phillips, Ph.D., is the co-founder and CEO of ROI Institute, Inc., a US-based consulting firm that serves for-profit, not-for-profit, government, and non-governmental organizations in 70 countries as they build capability in measurement, evaluation, and human capital analytics using the ROI Methodology®. An internationally recognized leader in measurement and analytics, her expertise is documented in more than 50 published books and business journals.

Patti, along with her business partner and husband, Jack Phillips, received the 2024 Thought Leader Award from the Association of Learning Providers. They also received the 2022 Association for Talent Development Thought Leader Award and the 2019 Center for Talent Reporting Distinguished Contributor Award. In 2019, she was named among the top 50 coaches globally by the Thinkers50 organization and named a finalist for the Marshall Goldsmith Distinguished Achievement Award for Coaching.

Patti serves as the Chair of the International Federation of Training and Development Organization, Chair of the Institute for Corporate Productivity People Analytics Board; Senior Adviser for The Conference Board; and board member of the International Society for Performance Improvement.