Atlanta is the No. 1 city in the nation for flexwork for the second consecutive year!
CoworkingCafe, a national coworking space search service, ranked the city tops on the factors that make remote work both attractive and attainable for people.
Atlanta beat out Seattle, Arlington, D.C., and San Francisco for the win, earning 72.3 out of 100 points across 11 key metrics, including its:
- Thriving economy
- Lower cost of living
- Strong connectivity options and infrastructure
- Solid base of employers who support flexible work arrangements
- Host of entertainment and leisure options for working professionals.
Despite much of the news lately, flexwork is going stronger than ever—not just here in Atlanta but across the nation. A 2024 hybrid and remote work report found that 65% of U.S. companies offer work location flexibility, a 14-point increase from a year ago and marking a big shift in C-suite attitudes and policies around flexible work arrangements.
Flexwork yields numerous benefits for business, especially those eager to attract and retain talented employees in a competitive job market. It also helps boost morale and productivity. But do you really know what flexwork means?
Flexwork, Telework, Hybrid?
Admittedly, it can get a little confusing. The terms we use to describe flexible work arrangements have grown as the options for when, where and how we work have changed over time.
When the pandemic hit, employers who could, pivoted to telework. For all intents and purposes, that meant working from home (or, WFH). But a year into the public health crisis, with no let up in sight, WFH soon morphed into remote work or WFA, working from anywhere, as digital-savvy professionals realized they could live in less expensive locations, move across the country or even take a road trip and experience the freedom of travel while simultaneously getting work done.
After the Covid-19 vaccine rollouts, leaders everywhere were rethinking the future of work. Many companies that tried to roll back remote privileges found employees resigning outright or else quietly quitting – or,doing the minimum requirements of their job. Resilient leaders who listened to their workforce saw an opportunity for a compromise that offered the best of both worlds, one that provided work-life balance along with the benefits of in-person collaboration in the form of the hybrid workplace.
Today, we use the term “flexwork” to cover a variety of work arrangements outside the traditional full time in office schedule. Flexwork also encompasses compressed workweeks, where employees work longer days in exchange for an additional day off; staggered shifts, that allow employees to come in and leave at off peak traffic hours; fully flexible arrangements (employers do not require office time) and structured hybrid, where employees are told what days they are expected at the workplace.
No matter what you call it, flexwork has proven itself good for business.
The Perks of Flexwork
Research by the Boston Consulting Group, in collaboration with Scoop for Work, found that on average structured hybrid and fully flexible companies outperformed their full time onsite peers in employee sentiment. Companies that support flexwork enjoy higher employee marks for work-life balance, culture and values – all of which translates into feeling appreciated and happy at work. And happy employees are loyal employees, creating less turnover and having a positive impact on the bottom line.
When it comes to recruitment, benefits rule the day. In a survey of business professionals, more than half (53%) said the benefits package was the main reason they chose their current job, followed by salary (41%) and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (37%). The Flex Report found that employees view the ability to work from home two days a week as equivalent to an 8% pay increase.
Flexwork also supports productivity. In a McKinsey Global Institute podcast with Nicolas Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford University, Bloom says Americans save about 70 minutes a day by commuting less and spending less time getting ready for work. Of that banked savings, about 30 minutes are spent working more. Over a 40-hour workweek, that’s about a 2.5% increase in productivity. The other benefit is the ability to have quiet time in order to do “deep work” such as reading, writing and preparing presentations, analysis and so forth. This deep work results in a 2-3 percent per hour productivity lift.
Primed for Growth
As metro Atlanta’s population continues to grow, so does traffic. Commute times are also increasing. According to data from the Atlanta Regional Commission, commutes are edging back to where they were pre-pandemic and take on average just over a half hour each way. As a result, the area’s traffic scores continually earn low marks, placing it as the 10th most congested city in the U.S..
Employers who tackle the commuting hurdle are poised to overtake the competition. Set yourself up for success by offering a solid and proven benefits package that includes flexible work strategies and commuter benefits to meet the needs of your current and future workforce.
Ready for a free flexwork assessment? We offer free flexwork consultations from nationally recognized industry leaders, Elham Shirazi and Robin Mack. Learn more about how you can benefit from a program customized to your business needs by visiting Georgia Commute Options or email telework@GaCommuteOptions.com.