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The unanticipated disruption caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic led to the extensive use of flexible working arrangements. In such a boundaryless work environment, however there are significant concerns, especially around inclusivity and discrimination. Given the increasing concerns surrounding hybrid and remote work settings, the authors investigated whether the extent of working in substantially flexible working arrangements relates to employees’ perceived ostracism and inequality, distinguishing between working from home, in a hybrid mode or from the office. In addition, the authors theorised that in flexible working arrangements, high-quality leader relationships, such as leader–member exchange (LMX) and servant leadership are likely to reduce perceptions of ostracism and inequality. Based on a survey of 161 professionals, who worked to varying degrees in flexible working arrangements, the authors found that employees who worked extensively in a hybrid mode were less likely to report experiences of ostracism and inequality in comparison to employees who worked mainly from home or in an office. Furthermore, a moderation analysis showed that the effects of LMX and servant leadership on perceptions of ostracism and inequality were much stronger for individuals who work in hybrid working arrangements than those who work at the office or from home. This research makes an important contribution to our understanding of how different degrees of flexible working arrangements affect employees by demonstrating the role of high-quality leader relationships in reducing perceptions of ostracism and inequality at different degrees of work flexibility.

The well-being of employees is very crucial, especially for the survival and sustainability of the mobile telecommunication industry and thus, the deployment of flexible working arrangements becomes paramount for managers and industry practitioners to implement. This research aimed to assess the impact of flexible working arrangements on employee well-being within the mobile telecommunication industry.

Utilizing multiple linear regression analysis, the research tested hypotheses to examine the significance of the relationships. Grounded in the Border Theory of Balanced Work, the study sought to explore the relationship between flexible working arrangements, including flextime schedules, compressed workweeks and telecommuting and various dimensions of employee well-being.

The results of the study demonstrated a statistically significant positive effect of flexible working arrangements on employee well-being within the mobile telecommunication industry. It concluded that flexible working arrangements that are measured with a flextime schedule, a compressed workweek and telecommuting improve employee well-being through psychological well-being, social well-being and workplace well-being.

This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by establishing a positive connection between flexible working arrangements and employee well-being in the context of the mobile telecommunication industry. Managers of telecommunication firms should continue with the implementation of flexible working arrangements to enhance the well-being of their employees. The study provides valuable insights for both scholars and industry practitioners, emphasizing the significance of continued implementation of flexible working arrangements to promote and sustain the well-being of employees.

Flexible staffing arrangements have become a permanent feature of employment in many industrial societies. This article examines how employers perceive the consequences of using flexible staffing arrangements. It presents and assesses theoretically informed hypotheses on organisational situations in which negative consequences are more likely to be perceived.

This study uses data (n = 761) from a bespoke employers survey, fielded in the Netherlands in 2019. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to measure and explain employers' perception of downsides to flexible staffing arrangements.

Employers report distinct downsides to the use of flexible staffing arrangements in terms of performance, management and employee well-being. Model estimates show that employers using flexible staffing arrangements to acquire specific expertise or to follow other organisations in their sector perceive more downsides.

Empirical research on employers' perception of the disadvantageous consequences of using flexible staffing arrangements is scarce. This article highlights that this practice can discourage investments in human capital and lead to a sense of insecurity among young workers. It draws attention to the relevance of distinguishing between strategic motives when trying to understand organisational behaviour regarding non-standard forms of employment.

Flexibility in the workplace is increasingly considered an important aspect of human resource strategy aimed at attracting and retaining a high-quality workforce. The purpose of this study is to explore the direct relationships between both employee- and employer-centered flexible work arrangements and turnover intentions, specifically focusing on Generation Z employees. In addition, this study also examines the mediating role of supervisor support and total rewards in these relationships.

This study used a quantitative research design using a cross-sectional survey method to gather data from employees born from 1995 across three industries – logistics, retail sales, and manufacturing. Partial least-squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The survey was conducted online, ensuring a diverse geographical spread and adherence to the representativeness of Generation Z within these sectors.

Contrary to existing literature, the findings reveal no direct correlation between flexible working arrangements (FWAs) and turnover intentions in this demographic. Instead, the results highlight the significant mediating roles of perceived supervisor support and total rewards. Specifically, these factors were found to influence turnover intentions in relation to the availability of employee-centered FWAs. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications, suggesting an adaptation of human resource strategies to better align with the preferences and expectations of Generation Z in the workplace.

In contrast to existing literature, this study examines the relationship between the availability of two different types of flexible work arrangements (employee- and employer-centered) and turnover intentions, specifically among Generation Z employees. In addition, this research introduces mediation analysis to investigate the roles of perceived supervisor support and total rewards – constructs that have been rarely considered in the context of these relationships.

This study aims to examine the key components to facilitate flexible work arrangement (FWA) and the issues and challenges arisen in preparing the workplace for FWA during Covid-19, and to recommend better approach of FWA implementation in workplace.

This study adopted extensive literature review and case studies approach using interviews and observations to determine the key components to facilitate FWA and the issues and challenges arisen in preparing the workplace for FWA during Covid-19, and to recommend better approach of FWA implementation in workplace. Three offices that owning FWA experience during Covid-19 and featuring flexible workspace concepts, elements and layouts in Klang Valley, Malaysia were chosen as case studies.

Findings have suggested that there are four components required to form flexible workspace for FWA adoption, such as open plan workspace design, task-oriented space, hot desking policy and IT infrastructure. Interestingly, the interview findings do not support the idea that the flexible furniture can facilitate FWA; instead, they believe that versatile, acoustical and aesthetical furniture may be installed when necessary. Among the issues and challenges faced were rearranging and designing open office plan layout, hot desk relocation and reconfiguration of spaces where people may congregate. Lastly, this research recommends that innovative planning software and tools, smart technology and apps, modern IT technology and infrastructure, and digital apps can be introduced to the workplace to help FM manage and monitor the facilities operations, workplace situations and occupancy rates.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, FWA such as “Work From Home” and remote working have become the mainstream in the workplace, affecting how the workplace looks and feels as flexible working is fundamentally related to the flexible workspace. From Facilities Management (FM) perspective, FWA is the biggest consequence of Covid-19, but it also presents opportunities and certain challenges to incorporate a new office environment and employees’ needs in terms of FWA into the corporate culture.

This study aims to investigate the implementation of flexible working arrangements and satisfaction, family work conflicts and the performance of educators. The potential benefits of FWA implementation for life balance highlight the importance of this research. The study’s results can be used as study material to make policies on implementing FWA for educators.

The research uses the survey method and conducts interviews with educators who are selected and willing to be interviewed. The research sample was taken by the non-probability sampling method from 245 participants. The analysis used is PLS-SEM.

The findings indicated that flexible working arrangements had no impact on job satisfaction. The variable that has the greatest influence on determining the performance of educators is job satisfaction.

The study provides information about the application of flexible working arrangements, provides flexibility for educators to change work schedules, do work from anywhere, regulate work patterns and regulate work duration. This study is unique as it focuses more on flexible work arrangements related to remote work arrangements for educators, as the authors understand that no previous study was conducted.

In this chapter, we theorize about online freelancers’ approaches to work flexibility. Drawing from an ongoing digital ethnography of US-based online freelancers pursuing work on digital platforms, our data question the common conceptualizations around the flexibility of online freelancing. We posit that the flexibility of where to work, not when to work, is the most important attribute of their work arrangement. Our data show (1) the online freelancers in our study prefer the stability and sustainability of full-time work over freelancing when both are offered as remote options; (2) full-time remote employment increases these workers’ freelancing control / flexibility; (3) these workers keep freelance work options open even as they transition to more permanent full-time work arrangements. We discuss how these findings relate to workplace culture shifts and what this means for contemporary working arrangements. Our insights contribute to the discourses on knowledge-based gig work and for what it means to study individuals online.

This study explored one form of remote working – work from home – to understand the impact of work disruptions on workers and human resource management (HRM) practice and therefore how to adapt to future crises. Specifically, the purpose is to understand the impact of events on employees when they are forced to move back and forth (yo-yoing) between work from home and a central office, using the case of Perth, Western Australia (WA).

Thirty-nine interviews with leaders, managers and co-workers working in private and public organisations suggest that forced changes to work arrangements affect job content and demands, well-being and potentially career trajectories.

The authors critically applied and developed the tenets of event system theory (EST) (novelty, disruption and criticality) by analysing an ongoing or “long” event rather than a discrete or time-limited one. The study found that the work-from-home experience influenced the individual perception of whether remote working would suit employees in the future, potentially influencing career paths. In addition, the selection of locations to live, preferred properties (e.g. home office space) and access to services (e.g. broadband infrastructure) has also become dominant features of work decisions.

While the study generated rich data, it is not without limitations. The participants were from one Australian state which may not reflect the COVID-19 experiences of other jurisdictions. In addition, the participants were mostly female so this may offer a different perspective than a more gender-balanced sample. The study was limited to the perspectives of employees and middle managers.

The authors note three areas of implications for practitioners. First, the findings suggest that strong organisational and HRM support assists employees to cope well with change. Second, the importance of technological and social preparedness in improving employee experiences highlights the role of HRM in job design. Third, it is key that salient events are recognised as potential determinants of career pathways.

The evidence from this research broadens the application of EST showing that forced flexibility has an influence on work arrangements by influencing a series of changes in features of work and experiences of employees. As such, this impacts employee's well-being and potentially future career decisions.

This paper aims to assess the design of national-level flexible work arrangement (FWA) policies, evaluating their potential to serve as an effective resource for employees to work flexibly depending on how they set the stage for flexibility claims that will be subject to industrial and workplace dynamics.

Using a capability approach, the authors conceptualize and operationalize two aspects of FWA policy design, namely accessibility and availability. The authors' analysis allows for an understanding of how the availability and accessibility of national FWA policies explicitly and implicitly restrict or facilitate flexible working in a structural manner. The study focuses on countries with differing working time regimes and gender norms on work and care: the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia.

The authors' findings highlight how FWA accessibility is broader when national policy is specified and FWA availability is not conditional to care. In Spain and Slovenia, access to FWAs depends on whether employees have care responsibilities, which reduces accessibility and reinforces gender imbalances in care provision. In contrast, the Netherlands provides FWAs universally, resulting in wider availability and accessibility of FWAs for employees regardless of their care responsibilities. Despite this universal provision, gender imbalances remain.

The originality of this paper lies in its conceptualization and operationalization of FWAs at the national level using a capability approach. The study adds to the existing literature on flexible working and provides insights for policymakers to design more effective FWAs.