Once considered a nice-to-have or a way to bring moms back into the workplace, a growing body of evidence is concluding that flexible work policies are now a requirement for organizations to compete and succeed. What is workplace flexibility?
It is meeting business needs by granting employees more choice about how, when and where they work -- both formally and informally -- and more varied career options. Examples include:

• Telecommuting (full or part time)
• Less-than-full time professional, managerial, and advancement-track jobs
• Flexible hours, compressed schedules, shared jobs
• Flexible cultures that empower people to change work hours or work offsite as they need to – while holding them accountable for results
• Career paths that allow lateral and/or slower-paced advancement and time out without penalty

Who wants flexibility?
Everyone! Highly diverse talent groups are expecting, and in some cases actively demanding, flexibility. Today, nearly everyone – regardless of their age, gender, or position – wants more flexibility. Who offers it?
Most large organizations (nearly 75%) offer flexibility, and have written policies for managers and employees to promote it. Best-in-class employers are integrating flexibility fully into their culture. What's the value for businesses?
Enabling a flexible way of working supports vital business goals.

• Creates a climate of innovation
• Boosts efficiency by increasing accountability for results
• Reduces overhead

Are there any risks?
The primary risk lies in being behind the curve or in implementing a superficial or incomplete program. The evidence shows that organizations that adopt this new way of managing people get the best talent, are more efficient and are more profitable. To compete, moving in the direction of greater flexibility is simply a new reality.