Flexibility matters for front-line workers — from Gen Z to boomers

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It’s fitting to reflect on how Labor Day, rooted in the labor movement’s fight for better working conditions, influences the modern American workforce. Originally established to honor worker contributions and reflect on labor issues, the holiday now also makes room for more contemporary values such as the freedom to balance work and personal life. This ideal is becoming increasingly important across jobs and generations in our dynamic economy.

In industries like manufacturing, the race for talent has intensified in recent years. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, while the unemployment rate rose to 3.9% this spring, manufacturing added 23,000 jobs. This tight labor market, combined with an aging workforce, the rise of AI and a growing desire for workplace flexibility driven by COVID practices and Gen Z, underscores the urgency of modernizing the workforce to align with contemporary values.

Flexibility is crucial. Recent data from the Manufacturing Institute show that nearly 50% of manufacturing employees report flexibility as an important reason why they stay with their employer, and 63.5% state that if they were to leave their current role, they’d look for greater workplace flexibility. It’s particularly significant for the rising Gen Z workforce, who are increasingly opting out of traditional college pathways in favor of skilled trade, vocational and front-line jobs. This generation values mental health, balance and meaningful work environments as much as, if not more than, their professional achievements.

Front-line workers, essential in assembling, packaging and shipping products, still lack the flexibility afforded to their in-office counterparts. Historically, policies for front-line workers have prioritized productivity over people, with rigid shifts, mandatory overtime and an antiquated points system that penalizes employees for personal reasons — a mom who wants to attend her child’s school event or a Gen Z worker juggling side gigs or educational pursuits. This disparity is not only unfair but detrimental to businesses. Ensuring that all employees, regardless of their role, have access to flexible working conditions is a strategic imperative.

Across various sectors, companies are pioneering new ways of working to increase front-line flexibility. For example, Amazon’s “Anytime Shifts” and logistics supplier Geodis Group’s use of the Shyft app have demonstrated significant benefits like improved productivity, safety and employee satisfaction.

Inspired by these successes, I’d like to share a few guiding principles that shaped the approach for one of our companies, Broan-NuTone:

• Start from scratch: Shake off the “olden days/olden ways” default and start at the beginning. Ask: What does your business need from the front-line employee, and what do those employees need to do their jobs? At Broan-NuTone’s warehouse, where air solutions are inventoried, processed, packed and shipped, the answer was simple: 40 hours. The company implemented an innovative scheduling model, Self-Managed Scheduling (SMS), that allows employees to decide how those 40 hours are achieved — four 10-hour days, five eight-hour days, Monday-Friday, Monday-Thursday, Wednesday-Friday, 6-6, 9-5, noon-9. This flexibility led to increased productivity, improved team dynamics, enhanced safety and better business outcomes.

• Trust inspires trust: These new ways of working wouldn’t succeed without trust. When you give people control and trust them to deliver, they usually do. Trust is a two-way street. It’s not only about freedom for people to be flexible with their families, but also about freedom to be flexible with the company when needed. A recent McKinsey study shows that organizations that actively listen and act on recommendations from front-line employees are 80% more likely than others to consistently implement new and better ways of doing things.

• Investing in the front-line pays: It increases retention, which drives productivity. Broan-NuTone has a one-year training program, including cross-training and upskilling, essential for a self-managed scheduling system. They also instituted front-line supervisor training, setting up emerging leaders for success. Two years after implementing SMS, productivity improved by 14%, overtime declined by 15 points and turnover became negligible.

• A flywheel of front-line flexibility: The concept of front-line flexibility is gaining traction across industries. Companies are exploring new ways to reinvent the front-line experience, from eliminating mandatory overtime to instituting paid parental leave. These initiatives recognize the interdependent nature of what employees bring to work daily — focus, resilience and commitment — and what can be achieved as a business. Prioritizing flexibility and support for all employees’ holistic well-being will attract and retain talent across generations, fostering a more resilient and motivated workforce.

As we celebrate the spirit of Labor Day and the importance of labor rights, let’s also recognize how modernizing our workforce to embrace flexibility and trust reflects the evolving American dream. By doing so, we honor not just our nation’s history but also its future, one in which every American has the opportunity to thrive at work and in their personal lives.

Jill Wyant is CEO of Madison Air and was previously an executive at Ecolab.