Australia's stagnating productivity level is worrying economic experts at the highest level, with dire warnings from the Reserve Bank chief among others.Here's one solution. With more than 21,000 responses to our New Work Project survey, two-thirds have chosen “working away from interruptions” as one of the top ways to increase their productivity. Setting your own hours has also proved a popular choice, with 49 per cent ranking it as a first or second preference. More than 45 per cent have liked the idea of fewer or shorter meetings.

1. Kerry Fallon Horgan Flexibility At Work M: 0438 231 065
How We Want to Work
Kerry Fallon Horgan is a featured expert in this news.com.au article on how we want to work by
Helen Davidson
Australia's stagnating productivity level is worrying economic experts at the highest level, with dire
warnings from the Reserve Bank chief among others.
Here's one solution. With more than 21,000 responses to our New Work Project survey, two-thirds
have chosen “working away from interruptions” as one of the top ways to increase their
productivity.
Setting your own hours has also proved a popular choice, with 49 per cent ranking it as a first or
second preference. More than 45 per cent have liked the idea of fewer or shorter meetings.
Only three per cent have said a ban on social media would boost their output.
“What people want most from workplace flexibility is control over when, where and how their work
gets done,” Kerry Fallon Horgan, managing partner at Flexibility At Work and author of Finding Life
Balance told news.com.au.
"Working your own hours means being able to work when your energy levels and motivation are
most optimal and this means greater effectiveness.
“Meetings can take a great deal of time in the workplace and are often poorly planned and
managed. Some people spend most of their days in ineffective meetings and have no time to do
the work that needs to be achieved.”
Almost 81 per cent of respondents have said social media access isn’t a productivity problem,
putting it in last place. However a study by Nielsen earlier this year found Australians spend an
average of 7h17m per month, per person on social media. Just over five hours of that is spent on
Facebook.
Do we really believe that all this time on social networks is done at home and in lunch breaks,
rather than during work time? Well, not entirely, and not for the younger workers.
Just over 11 per cent of survey respondents between 15 and 24 years of age have ranked “no
social media” as the first or second best way to help their productivity.
However, social networking doesn’t necessarily equate with time-wasting. Sites such as LinkedIn are
used as a business tool for networking and research, rather than a time-waster.
“Using other social media can mean less time spent on the phone to friends as there is instant
access to what they are doing,” said Ms Fallon Horgan.
A majority of employees in a worldwide poll revealed they spend 30 minutes per day or more on
social media for personal reasons. The same study found 89 per cent believed a loss of productivity
was or would be the result. Despite this, Australian employers don’t tend to regulate their
employees’ use of social media.
They should. Ms Fallon Horgan has said organisations ought to have policies on appropriate
internet usage at work with an understanding that employees’ access can be monitored, but she
stopped short of saying there should be bans.
“To work effectively employees need to know they are trusted and are being treated like adults
and this includes their use of social media,” she said.

2. Kerry Fallon Horgan Flexibility At Work M: 0438 231 065
Two-way street
Whether it’s an office policy on social media use, allowing employees to set their own hours or
reducing the number of meetings, Ms Fallon Horgan says workplace flexibility is “a two-way street”.
“Employees need to take responsibility for making the practices work for themselves and for their
colleagues by clarifying expectations,” she said. “Everyone has a part to play in creating the
workplace culture.”
That means employees must speak up to fight for the flexibility that works for them, rather than
waiting for it to come to them from above.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/worklife/just-let-us-work-how-employees-would-
boost-their-productivity/story-e6frfm9r-1226164127517#ixzz1mzDbRUOl
FLEXIBILITY AT WORK RESOURCES
The Flexible Work Practices Toolkit
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Further details about the Toolkit click here
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# Finding Life Balance
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For more information contact Flexibility At Work on T: (02) 9402 4741 or email
kerry@flexibility.com.au Information is also available on at http://www.flexibility.com.au
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