The year 2023 should be a year of renewal, so it's time to leave all those outdated work norms in the past and take a leap into the present. Most of the rules that are in place say a lot about companies, bosses and the way employees feel when they are in their work area.
Remember that no one wants to live under a restrictive regime full of work norms that make everyone feel uncomfortable in the office, which ends up affecting motivation and productivity. Let's get to know those outdated work norms you should eliminate!
7 outdated work norms you need to say goodbye to
While it is necessary to apply some order through a series of work norms, not all of them are adequate to maintain a pleasant work environment, there are universal rules that are unreasonable, and should be replaced by new rules application. Check them out below and make way for renewal!
Drug Testing
Clearly, drug testing is essential in some jobs, such as sports; but if you're going to hire someone to work in an office, why deny them a job opportunity if, in their free time, they decide to use some marijuana, which is legal in most countries around the world.
Not allowing telecommuting
Most jobs need to make way for the process of renewal that telecommuting offers, there is no reason to deny an employee the ability to do the work they do in the office from home. The main fear of employers is the loss of productivity, but the truth is that more and more workers feel more comfortable working remotely, without decreasing their productivity.
New rules applications like these will save time and money on transportation and will allow workers to better manage their work time, be happier with the opportunities, meet objectives, and make the name of the company that allows them such flexibility known. Remember that a happy employee in the workplace is an employee that ensures the success of the company.
Fixed schedules
Fixed schedules have been part of the work norms since historical times, and most companies adhere to them, however, it is better to establish a number of daily hours that must be met.
It is a process of renewal that allows you to move from an inflexible schedule to a staggered schedule. For example, an employee with a fixed schedule from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. does not have the same productivity at the end of the day as an employee who does the same 8 hours of work per segment.
Not eating and drinking
There are obsolete work norms that do not allow employees to have food in their work area, something understandable if it is a customer service or customer service position, but otherwise, new rules application to allow them to have drinks or energy bars on hand that allow them to get through the workday without problems.
Working hungry and thirsty affects concentration and productivity, so don't hesitate to revamp work norms so that workers can perform their jobs without inconvenience.
Not allowing taking medical leave without a medical report
This is one of the obsolete work norms that should be left behind because while there are ailments that make a person go to the doctor, there are others in which the worker simply stays home for a day and gets better. In addition, it is one of the most absurd work norms especially if the employer does not offer health insurance, because they are asking the employee to incur an expense in medical bills to justify the absence without offering some work benefit that guarantees their health.
Not allowing beards
How does a little facial hair affect productivity? Unless you work for a restaurant or food company, there is no absolute reason to deny employees the ability to grow a beard. Think about how overbearing it is to require all your employees to be clean-shaven just because. Make way for a revamping of work norms and allow your employees to wear the look they want.
Scheduled breaks
It's time to say goodbye to scheduled breaks; new rules application is necessary, as well as easy to execute. Forcing the employee to take time off at a specific time during the workday is a thing of the past; the workday should not be a prison.
Productivity is greatly enhanced when the employee is free to take as much time off as needed during the workday; of course, you can set a limit on breaks so you don't lose control. For example, allow 15-minute breaks every 2 hours of work.
Denying workspace customization
Why work in a gray, generic area? The idea is to make employees feel comfortable in their work area, so to achieve this, you should remove all work norms that deny moving work furniture or the addition of customized objects in the space.
If you are concerned about liability for injuries that may occur when moving furniture, you can add a clause that releases you from this when it is an action taken by the employee to customize their work area.
Email vocabulary
Some jobs require among their work norms that all emails employ strictly professional language; while this is essential when dealing with a client, between employees it can be different, with a more friendly and informal tome to foster positive employee relations.
When employees have a good relationship with each other, it greatly improves the work environment, which in the long term increases the success of the company, since it has been proven that workers who do not get along well tend to make more mistakes and take longer to achieve common goals in the absence of teamwork.
Missed an outdated rule that should be eliminated? Feel free to leave them in the comments. At Alpha Solutions we are interested in feedback and we work for the renewal that allows harmony and productivity at work, that's why we are flexible with new rules application.
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