Flexible working has benefits for employee well-being — but access to the right technology is crucial

• Research suggests that flexible work arrangements are a key driver of overall employee well-being.
• Businesses must adapt their technology strategy to support employees in hybrid roles.

Whatever your grandfather did for a living, his work arrangements probably weren't very flexible — and they certainly weren't designed to maximize his sense of well-being or autonomy. Today, as the sudden shift to remote work gradually gives way to the age of hybrid offices, employers who don't prioritize worker flexibility, autonomy, and well-being may find it difficult to hire or retain talent.

What might surprise your grandfather's boss the most is that this could be a win-win situation for everyone. A growing body of research suggests that flexible work arrangements provide a wide range of well-being benefits, and can help drive productivity and employee engagement. Giving workers the freedom and flexibility to work from anywhere, at any time, and to seamlessly collaborate across boundaries not only leads to happier, healthier employees — it also builds more efficient companies that retain employees longer, encourages collaboration, and improves productivity.

A clear link between employee well-being and flexible working arrangements

Employees who have access to remote-work opportunities — including flexible work location, distributed teams, and virtual work options — were 43% less likely to experience workplace burnout, 75% more likely to report being often or always engaged with work, 63% more likely to report often or always being innovative, and 30% less likely to look for another job in the next year, according to a 2020 global study. Likewise, in a 2022 study of workers across England and Scotland, 78% said that being able to work from home gave them an improved work-life balance, 50% said it enabled them to more easily and quickly complete their work, and 47% said it improved their overall well-being.

Julia Yates, a senior lecturer in organizational psychology at City University of London, said the autonomy provided by flexible arrangements "leads to increased work satisfaction, increased life satisfaction, and decreased levels of stress — so generally it is a very positive thing to have in work."

"Autonomy definitely leads to increased productivity, because it makes people happier, which makes them more productive," she added, citing several studies, including a 2020 research project that used a neuroscience experiment to investigate the mechanisms through which greater autonomy affects individual and team performance. "It also makes them feel more valued, boosting their self-confidence and leading to more creativity, more resilience, and therefore more productivity. It allows them to play to their strengths."

For employers, the challenge now is to design a technology strategy that delivers not only flexibility but connectivity and security. That means providing tools that employees can use to work from almost anywhere, which enable them to seamlessly collaborate under any conditions.

Technology that is adapted to the flexible work age

For the large majority of workers, the one indispensable tool will be a versatile laptop. Though there are dozens of models advertised as ideal for hybrid work, many don't offer critical features that enable hybrid working, such as the ability to connect in low-Wi-Fi environments, long battery life, and a lightweight, portable design.

This is why the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 has consistently been a popular choice for employers. Not only does it check the necessary boxes, but it also provides innovative features specifically designed for working from unconventional spaces. For example, its AI Noise Reduction feature allows the user to filter out ambient or unwanted noises when on a video call — a potential lifesaver for parents of young children, or anyone working in a public environment, like a coffee shop. It also contains a wide field-of-view 5MP camera that allows users to move more freely during calls.

Indeed, being freed from ergonomically challenged office desks could be one of the great wellness benefits of the shift to remote work, assuming workers have the proper equipment. In a survey of nearly 900 remote workers, 40% said they no longer worked from a desk, and one-third admitted to purchasing their own equipment to accommodate their healthier posture.

Employers can accommodate these good habits with wireless equipment, such as the HP 655 keyboard and mouse combo. In addition to long battery life, the mouse contains a multi-surface sensor that allows it to operate on a wide variety of surfaces. And workers who need to be on frequent video calls but don't want to sit at a desk all day may appreciate an exterior camera like the HP 960 4K Streaming Webcam, which allows for greater movement than some other internal laptop cameras do.

Lastly, as any IT worker can tell you, a distributed workforce makes it exponentially harder to secure your organization's data. To give your employees the freedom they want without sacrificing the security your company needs, it's imperative to upgrade your IT architecture. The HP Wolf endpoint security solutions safeguard people, devices, and data.

Enterprise software platform HP Anyware was specifically designed to keep workers productive with secured access to their digital workspaces, without the headaches of a VPN. It also enables teams to work together in real-time by accessing the same desktop or application from virtually anywhere and avoiding large file downloads.

The rules of work have changed. Flexibility has joined paid time off and lunch hours as the minimum benefits employees will accept to work for your company. Smart employers already recognize that these new rules will benefit them, too, as employees become happier, better connected, and more productive. All they need is the right technology, and an employer that's bold enough to provide it.

How HP products make it easier to work from anywhere

HP Elite Dragonfly G3. Your best work, anywhere.

Ultra-light (it starts at less than 1 kilogram) and featuring HP Wolf Security for Business, HP's new Dragonfly G3 notebook is a powerhouse that has been painstakingly crafted for today's professionals. Its secret weapon is its 5G connectivity, enabling users to work well beyond the confines of a WiFi signal. The HP Elite Dragonfly is enhanced by HP Presence AI audio and video technology, which provides optimal conditions for collaborative and productive virtual meetings.

HP 950 4K Webcam. Best-in-class picture for meetings.

We all need to be camera-ready in the world of flexible work, and this webcam helps us put our best face forward. The built-in privacy shutter blocks the webcam from uninvited eyes and the AI face framing ensures that your face is always in focus. Best of all, there are universal mounting clips to mount the camera wherever it works best.

HP USB-C Travel Hub G2. Connecting your world.

Created with the demands of today's roving business traveler in mind, HP's versatile new hub lets remote workers expand their laptop's connectivity wherever they are. Adding an extra display is the work of moments — and when plug sockets are thin on the ground, you can plug in your phone to charge it too. You can even charge your devices and laptop battery at the same with the one single USB cable.

Find out more about how HP can support flexible working.

This post was created by Insider Studios with HP.