In mid-2015, Netflix announced that its leave policy would change to better accommodate new parents, who would be allowed to take as much time off as they wanted during the first year after their child's birth. Some industry experts found the announcement uplifting, while others regarded it as a gimmick. Whatever the case, it is undeniable that in the modern world, work has a tendency to follow employees wherever they go.
The new Netflix leave policy announcement made an impact on the media as well as on fellow big-name companies. On the surface, Netflix employees seem to have been blessed with a much more family friendly leave policy. However, they may still find work trailing after them as they change diapers, cook supper or complete DIY projects. Work never really goes away; it simply sits there, waiting to get done.
Some pundits say that the new leave policy instituted by Netflix is nothing more than a variation of telecommuting, which is already common in the world of work. Information digitization has made it easier than ever to work from home, from your holiday destination or even—with a mobile Internet subscription—from the Appalachian Trail. Employees taking advantage of a leave policy like the one adopted by Netflix may feel freer, but they probably still check emails and respond to requests on a regular basis, no matter where they are.
From a cynical perspective, a family-friendly leave policy really is just a marketing tactic designed to one-up other companies who don't offer the same thing. However, there are advantages to telecommuting that go beyond a company's desire to show off in the corporate world. Employees who are allowed to organize their own work schedules commonly feel more satisfied than employees who are held to a strict in-office schedule. Productivity also often increases under those flexible circumstances.
The good news: constant connectivity creates an environment in which productivity is possible at any time of the day or night. If you are more of a night owl, this could allow you to work during your most productive hours rather than when you feel tired and uninspired. If you're a morning whiz, you may find you can complete your work in a short, intense burst before lunchtime, leaving you with the rest of the day to complete other projects.
Information digitization not only makes it easier to access blueprints, documents, emails and more on the go, but it also helps maintain productivity when employees work remotely. You can organize your day based on your own peak productivity times instead of trundling into the office in the morning, temporarily dependent on coffee. In fact, the Netflix leave policy and similar policies arguably increase productivity and employee satisfaction at the same time.
Photo courtesy of Ambro at Freedigitalphotos.net
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