Some companies promote flexibility as a core tenet of their shared team values, but your organization might not see the value in it. Flexible work options can be so beneficial, for whole companies and individual teams. Here’s why. Workplace flexibility boosts employee productivity Location flexibility saves workers time on a long commute. It can also help remove the distractions of a colocated office. Flexibility in work time can help workers find and take advantage of their peak hours. For example, one content writer who shifted the start of her workday to noon found that she was able to stave off burnout. And according to Olivia Ng, a UX/UI Designer who handles Marketing Development at Toggl Track, choosing her work hours allows her to work productively when she’s feeling her best. At the same time, she doesn’t have to waste time feeling guilty because she can make up for it another day. That’s the real beauty of true flexibility at work. ”Nobody is hounding me to be productive every single day,” she concludes. Flexibility boosts autonomy and employee retention Allowing workers to manage their own time and work where they want to can improve efficiency and employee engagement. People can work when and where they can best focus. It can also demonstrate trust in your team, which makes people feel more autonomous and personally accountable at work. All of this has tangible benefits for employee retention and reduced employee turnover. 40% of those interviewed stated that schedule flexibility was one of the top three factors when considering jobs in a 2017 survey from ManpowerGroup. Beyond that, FlexJobs found that a lack of flexibility can actually send employees job hunting. Flexibility represents the future of work Even if you’re not sold on the above benefits, you may soon be forced to care. More and more organizations are moving ahead with flexible policies for their workforces. And it will be up to managers to enforce these policies, and enable their team members to take advantage. And flexibility is also directly linked to a diverse and inclusive workplace, according to another SHRM post. Rather than respond reactively, thinking about flexible work policies proactively can help you remain ahead of the curve — and the competition.