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FLEXIBLE WORK OPTIONS.
Term Paper ID:23532
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Essay Subject:
History since 1970s, govt. & corp. efforts, types, advantages, productivity, telecommuting, laws, implementation.... More...
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15 Pages / 3375 Words
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Paper Abstract:
History since 1970s, govt. & corp. efforts, types, advantages, productivity, telecommuting, laws, implementation.
Paper Introduction:
This paper is an examination of an important new trend in the workplace, the use of flexible working options that allow both employees and supervisors the opportunity to customize work schedules, work arrangements, and responsibilities to accommodate family, employer, and other needs. Flexible work arrangements are an important response to the changing face of the American workforce, as the majority of families become, by necessity, two-income households and as individuals increasingly find themselves having to deal with complicated child care arrangements, the guardianship of aging parents, and other demands outside the workplace. In addition, flexibility has become an important option for employers seeking more economical solutions to downsizing the workforce while confronting needs such as increasing productivity, decreasing turnover, and providing
Text of the Paper:
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Flextime is sometimes used as a blanketterm for all flexible work programs, but it also describes specifically anarrangement between employee and employer in which both agree to a workschedule tailored to meet their mutual needs. Ezraand Deckman (1996, March/April) observe, "Unless the organization and theemployee's immediate supervisor are supportive of family duties, anemployee may not be able to address his or her family needs adequately" (p.177). For some businesses, understanding these stresses may neverthelessmake finding solutions difficult if not impossible. Mini-survey: Companies attempt tocreate the "convenient workplace." Compensation and Benefit Review, 28(3), 23-26. This trend was led by the federal government, which beganexperimenting with and studying possible programs in the early 197 s.Enough analysis has been done at this point to identify four major stepswhich organizations must complete in order to implement an effectiveflexible work plan: building organizational support, promoting the effortsof managers and users, internalizing the practice, and sustaining momentum. This is especially applicable for companies such as banksthat have numerous offices scattered over a relatively small area. Flexible workarrangements from policy to implementation. 681). Next, the organization must support both the managers and theemployees using the plan. In addition, flexibility has become an important option for employersseeking more economical solutions to downsizing the workforce whileconfronting needs such as increasing productivity, decreasing turnover, andproviding around-the-clock service to customers. The results, like all aspects of flexible work plans,will depend on the temperament and capabilities of the individual employee. Fathers who take advantage of the option that is sometimes calledthe "mommy track" may suffer even greater discrimination than that sufferedby their female colleagues. The one real limitation to all forms of flextime may be localemployment laws; regulations in some areas specify the limits to the hoursan employer may require from an employee within a given week or place otherlegal restrictions on what the law considers to be too flexible anarrangement. Marni Ezra and Melissa Deckman(1996, March/April) make this contention: Satisfaction with work/family balance is a vital component of an employee's job satisfaction, and the use of policies such as on-site child care and flextime appear to help employees, particularly mothers, face the dual demands of work and family life better (p. Some companies have found that breaking jobs into smaller parts allowsthem to attract more experienced employees who are seeking jobs that canfit with other responsibilities. Workplace flexibility boostsprofits. A. 36). (1996, May/June). The federal government began experimenting with flexible work optionsin 1972. In fact, employees who seek part-timework often do so in order to create their own version of a flexible workschedule. Managers are particularlyresponsible for this final step. However, experience has shownthat it can actually save money. An article in the Equal OpportunitiesReview (1996, January/February) points out that the pressure on employeesto all be more flexible can sometimes be a problem as enthusiastic managerstry to turn all workers into flextime cheerleaders (p. All types of workers want these options" (p. . (1996, March/April). Office,117 (4), 36. The Catalyst Group, a nonprofit research organization which hascompleted extensive studies of flexible work plans in numerous companiesacross the country, has issued a handbook for managers (Bohl, 1996,May/June; Capowski, 1996, May). This requires evaluating the needs of currentand potential employees, as well as understanding the stresses that aflexible arrangement might help ease. 7).Sullivan and Lussier (1995, September) suggest that companies new toflexible programs begin with a pilot group and a willingness to makeadjustments in the plan as necessary. The manager who understands thenecessity of helping his or her workers meet drastically different personaldemands will be able to support an energized, productive workforce and helphis or her company flourish in this charged and volatile business climate. Sullivan andLussier (1995, September) recommend training, both for managers and foremployees, as a means to ongoing sustenance. A program of flexible hours, often called flextime, is another optionin providing employee flexibility. Solomon (1996, June) observes,"No longer are flexible hours and a flexible workplace the domain of youngmothers. As Solomon (1996, June) observes, "Creating companypolicy is one thing; implementing workable practices can be quite another"(p. The success of this initiative led Congress toauthorize the federal government to make alternative work schedules apermanent option for workers in 1985, leading the way for privateenterprise to consider how they could deal with the same issues withintheir workforce. Karen A. Through the use of all four steps, supervisors can design and maintain aneffective flexible work program that serves both the changing needs ofemployees and the organizations for which they work. Nevertheless, the results wereremarkable. (1993, April). Edelman (1996, October) writes,"Workplace flexibility, an issue once relegated to the back files of the HRdepartment, has now become a critical issue for both employees andemployers" (p. Schedulingstaff meetings when the greatest number of employees can attend or varyingthe times of regular gatherings, for instance, may be vital to makingemployees feel valued. (1996,January/February). The program studiedvolunteer participants, most of whom (84 percent) had 11 or more years ofwork experience; their average age was 42. Sincealmost three-quarters of the participating employees were married and/orliving in families, and nearly half had children under 18 living at home,the study noted that Flexiplace offered participants more time to spendwith their families and more flexibility in accommodating diverse familyschedules. 37). After initial experiments showed the feasibility of flextime andother options, the government initiated a three-year experimental programthat began in 1979. 26). Managers recognizing the value of offering flexible work plans maystill confront obstacles in the board room. The important point for a manager to considerin creating a job-sharing option is that both employees must have a clearunderstanding of what is to be accomplished and where responsibilities lie. Flexibility comes out of flux.Personnel Journal, 75 (6), 34-43. Sullivan, S., & Lussier, R. Employers often find that whatis essentially a one-time investment, with the addition of regularservicing and periodic upgrades, pays off handsomely over a very shortperiod. References Bohl, D. Recruiters have begun to find that many employeesexpect to be able to make flexible employment arrangements; Charlene MarmerSolomon (1996, June) observes, "Today with increasing numbers oforganizations offering flexible work arrangements of some type, flexibilityis as widely anticipated as a computer with a functioning modem and e-mailcapabilities" (p. Bohl (1996, May/June) points out,"Time is among the valuable 'benefits' a company can provide" (p. Presumably,the lower rate of agreement from participants was the result of adissatisfaction on the part of one-quarter of the employees with thequality of their home telecommuting equipment; as a result of governmentregulations, which the study recommends changing, federal employees arelimited in the equipment that can legally be provided by federal agenciesfor home use. Job sharing is another possible option. Managers need to evaluate,first, whether the given job can be accomplished on a compressed scheduleand, second, whether the employee is able to be fully productive over alonger work day. According to the U.S. Pennsylvania CPAJournal, 67 (3), 16, 45. Managers of job sharers must also make extra efforts to give equalattention to both employees, recognizing the value of the contributions ofeach individual. Employers also began to experiment with offering flexible optionssuch as job sharing, variable work schedules, and part-time positions thatwere a direct response to worker needs. The two requirements under any flexible schedule are: 1) that the employee must be at work during core time, and 2) the employee must account for the total number of hours he or she is scheduled to work (Ezra and Deckman, 1996, March/April, p. Ninety percent of supervisors and 95 percent of participants judgedthat Flexiplace improved their job performance or kept it at previouslevels. Work/family programs and theemployment relationship. For instance, Aetna Life and Casualtyestimates that it saves at least $2 million each year by offering work andfamily programs that cut down on turnover (Larkin, 1996, August, p. Rapid changes in technology, family life, and American business aredramatically altering the way that society accomplishes tasks.Multinational corporations and small companies alike are faced with theneed to streamline operations, cut costs, and increase the productivity ofa downsized workforce. The demands of these most common of the reasons for needingflexibility at work can take a huge toll on worker productivity. Not only were many more young mothers finding it necessary towork but also workers across the board, including many veteran employees,were being confronted with home situations that were creating powerfulstresses on their work performance. (1996, August). (1996, May). Don L. Employees who have a say in planning their schedules tend alsoto have a lower rate of absenteeism, making their time more productive.Telecommuting, one of the more popular forms of flexible work, usuallysaves on overhead costs, since the employer does not have to provide workspace for the employee. 36). Paul Osterman (1995, December)observes, "Employee benefits can . Managers must work to include employeesenrolled in flexible programs in all organizational affairs. As flexibility has become moreaccepted throughout corporate America, especially among larger companies,employers have been able to pinpoint specific economic benefitsattributable to these programs. Flexible work arrangements are an important response to thechanging face of the American workforce, as the majority of familiesbecome, by necessity, two-income households and as individuals increasinglyfind themselves having to deal with complicated child care arrangements,the guardianship of aging parents, and other demands outside the workplace. Human resources departments for many larger companies now includespecific staff members, subdivisions, or handbooks dedicated toimplementing flexible work plans. Across the Board, 33 (9), 56-77. In addition, as lifeexpectancy continues to rise along with health care costs, a greatlyincreased number of adults are also having to assume the burden of caringfor aged parents. M. Bohl (1996, May/June), writing about a surveyconducted by the Compensation and Benefit Review on flexible work options,notes, "Finally, however, the success of a convenience benefit [a benefitwhich addresses a personal need of an employee] rests on an element thatour survey did not measure: the care that the benefit designers took inidentifying employee needs" (p. 16). is getting everyone in the organization to buy into it, getting them tounderstand the business reasons for implementing flexibility" (p. By studying particular situationsinvolving fellow employees, a task force can recognize firsthand howflexible options help fellow employees pull their weight in the workplace. The third step is to internalize the practice of flexibility.Communication is an important key. (1996, June). 34). 16). 34). One bank employee, for instance, contracted with her employer towork full-time hours but be paid at 9 percent of her salary; in this way,she accumulates a half-day each week to be used, or stockpiled for futureuse, at her own discretion (Solomon, 1996, June, p. Each thenreceives only part-time pay; in many cases, additional job benefits arecurtailed, which may be a savings for the company but may also make the jobless attractive to both employees and harder to fill, should oneparticipant decide to leave. The manager must consider thebenefits that such a rotation might bring, such as increased communicationbetween branches. One of the benefits of flexible programs is themessage they send that the employee's individual demands are important tothe employer; managers must take care to continue to send this message onceflexible plans are in place. Flexiplace permitted employees and theirorganizations to take advantage of productivity peaks and take breaks thatfit more easily into their daily energy cycle. 174).At the same time, more businesses began to recognize the economic benefitsof offering flexible work options, especially in terms of hiring andretaining qualified employees. Another flexible option is the use of a fixed 4 -hour week with aguarantee that the employer will not request any overtime hours. Many large companies,especially in fields requiring long work hours and direct client contact,such as law firms and investment banking institutions, may have sympathyfor family demands but find providing workable solutions hard. Capowski, G. Some employers turned to flexible workplans first as a way of servicing customers in different time zones ormeeting seasonal demands of the business. . Once the manager has considered the applicability of flexible optionsto his or her organization, considered which options to include, anddevised a plan to offer such options to employees, the next step is to putthe plan into action. Though job sharing may be one of the more problematicoptions, nonetheless a recent survey of nearly 7 businesses offeringflexible scheduling showed that approximately one-third make use of jobsharing (Solomon, 1996, June, p. Thisgives the employee a reliable schedule and may be particularly attractivein retaining experienced employees working in fields that traditionallyrequire extra time or work on unpredictable schedules. Making work flexible. One of the most common types of flexible working arrangements istelecommuting, where employees stay in touch with the workplace through theuse of computers, faxes, telephone, and other technology. Edelman, K. Having accepted the necessity of thinking about flexibility, the nextstep for the manager is to study the forms that such flexibility mighttake. 24); managers mustcontinually evaluate when flexibility is applicable and when it is not.This may depend on the sex of the worker; the Review (1996,January/February) notes, "Men and women have different patterns of flexibleworking" with women's needs most often tied to childcare demands (p. Managers need to be familiar with all the local laws thatgovern their relationship with employees. While flexible workoptions first evolved as a response to the increase in young mothers in theworkforce, they are now applicable to all types of workers. (1995, September). Government workers approve of telecommuting. Human resources. 24), since thebenefits to the organization have historically proved to be much greaterthan originally projected. Reliable, state-of-the-art equipment is essential to theeffectiveness of any telecommuting program. The study cautioned that,because all the employees were volunteers, older, and experienced, they"may have been motivated by a desire to ensure the success of the project"("Government Workers," 1993, April, p. . Solomon, C. The final step in implementing flexibility is to sustain the momentumof the program. Another common type of flexible option is the implementation ofcompressed work schedules. Flexiblework options that take into account shifting demographics, two-careerhouseholds, and new definitions of the family are necessary to recruitingand retaining the best possible employees. 56). Compressed schedules free employeesto concentrate on their jobs for several days in a row and then deal withpersonal issues during at least one weekday. The government discovered that asignificant majority of workers had children under 18 still at home or werebecoming responsible for the care of elderly parents, and most no longerhad a stay-at-home spouse to shoulder most of these duties. 19).Maintaining an effective flexible work plan requires the manager tocontinue to evaluate the program based on current employee andorganizational needs. In this instance, twoemployees share one job and, usually, also share work space. Flexible working: The impact on women's pay and conditions. In addition, the study noted that both employees and supervisorsbelieved that productivity levels vary throughout the day, in part becauseof natural biological rhythms. First, managers argue, the organization must support the concept offlexibility; building such support is essential to assuring success.Sandra Sullivan and Robert Lussier (1995, September) suggest using focusgroups and/or a task force of employees to identify the need forflexibility within the company's workforce. Asemployees find it necessary to juggle more than their own schedules andtheir own personal requirements, their work can suffer enormously. Their recommendations specify the foursteps that managers at organizations successfully using flexible plansagree are vital to the process. Flexible-place options may also include allowing employees to work inbranch offices. Balancing work andfamily responsibilities: Flextime and child care in the federalgovernment. Bureau ofLabor, by 1993 in more than half of all married couples with children underage 18, both couples were working, compared with one-third of couples 2 years earlier (Larkin, 1996, August, p. In addition to cutting the costs ofturnover by encouraging long-term employees to remain (saving time andmoney in recruiting and training new personnel), flexible options tend tocreate more satisfied, productive employees who are better able to servicecustomers. Bohl (1996, May/June) calls management's recognition of the needfor flexible work options "enlightened self-interest" (p. In this way, a group ofemployees pinpoints specific situations in which flexible programs couldhelp fellow workers and benefit the company. Public Administration Review, 56 (2), 174-179. Technological advances have madetelecommuting a viable option, allowing employees to work from home byconnecting their computers remotely with those at the office, talking tocustomers by phone while remaining connected with the workplace, and faxingorders and other information to remote locations. M. 36). The study recommended use of Flexiplace for several reasons: itimproved the government's ability to recruit and retain capable employees,it improved the employees' quality of life, and it saved money. Once flexible plans are in place, managers must continueto evaluate them and maintain their effective execution. Osterman, P. Investing in quality equipment also sends a message that thecompany values the employee's contribution and takes his or her work asseriously as if it were performed in the office. Solomon (1996, June) points outthat, because each plan is agreed to individually, each arrangement shouldbe started as a proposal written by the employee and formally evaluated inregular performance appraisals between employee and supervisor; "bothemployees and managers are responsible for translating these workarrangements into viable options" (p. Administrative Science Quarterly, 4 (4), 681-7 . Companies with this type of program need tokeep from viewing those who choose flexibility as less serious about theirjobs than those who put in 6 - and 7 -hour weeks as a matter of routine.Indeed, the corporate culture is beginning to recognize that unrelentingworkaholics may not be the most valuable staff members because of theultimate health toll of their nonstop work habits and their subsequenttendency toward burnout. (1996, October). One of the largest single employers in the United States, thegovernment realized that it needed a plan to deal with a new type ofworkforce. This paper is an examination of an important new trend in theworkplace, the use of flexible working options that allow both employeesand supervisors the opportunity to customize work schedules, workarrangements, and responsibilities to accommodate family, employer, andother needs. Flexible options also can allow businesses toexpand the hours during which they service customers, allowing them toprovide service in different time zones, as well as meeting seasonaldemands. The manager can also help reinforce the valueof flexible employees to those keeping regular schedules or putting inconsiderable overtime, minimizing the possibility of resentment on the partof regular workers. Management Review,85 (5), 7. 23).Considering flexible options, even if they are not immediately implemented,should be an important part of every manager's preparedness program.Planning is important. Capowski (1996, May) observes, "The difficulty .. The manager must seek to balance the needs andconcerns of all employees under his or her supervision, and instituting aflexible program may provide a valuable exercise in this general managementskill. After one year, 1 percent of supervisors and 8 percent ofparticipants judged Flexiplace to be a desirable work option. Such specification helps allemployees understand why flexibility is needed and challenges them toselect options that address those needs. At suchorganizations, managers have sometimes created a "two track" system,allowing those whose family duties require more flexibility to opt out ofeligibility for partnerships or bonus programs in exchange for more time athome. Ezra, M., & Deckman, M. This may include a laterstart time or an earlier departure than that expected of other employees, amore liberal definition of days off (for example, allowing use of a sickday when the employee's child, not the actual employee, is ill), or otherplans which allow the employee more freedom in planning his or her workschedule, while assuring that sufficient time has been allowed to completethe job. For the modern manager, the first question that needs to be answeredis whether or not flexible work options are applicable to his or herorganization's workforce. Modern managers, to meet these challengeseffectively, must look for solutions that take into account the changingneeds and desires of their workers, as well as their customers. 36). L. On the surface, suchflexibility may seem an expensive option. This often takes shape as something like a workweek comprised of four 1 -hour days. (1995, December). Part-time positions also constitute a form of flexible workarrangements, though they often preclude employees from receiving benefits. A three-yeargovernment study by the President's Council on Management Improvement,summarized in the journal Office (1993, April), examined the feasibility ofallowing selected federal employees to work at home as part of anexperimental program termed "Flexiplace" (p. Anemployee might spend one day a week in the main office and the balance ofthe week at a branch office closer to home. Equal Opportunities Review, 65, 19-24. The federal government gives the following definition of flextime: A system of work scheduling which splits the work day into two distinct kinds of times - core time and flexible time. play an important role in elicitingdesired employee behaviors" (p. Managers at smaller companies may determine that current employees donot require flexible options because of their personal situations.However, these businesses need to recognize both that individual situationschange and that they may eventually wish to hire employees whose needs dorequire versatile solutions. 36). At the very least, companies which offer programswhich are flexible but do not lead to top management positions must makethe distinctions clear to their workers, allowing employees a clear choicebased on their individual priorities. A manager who simply assumes thatflexible options are not a concern to his or her particular employees maynot be accurately analyzing the situation. Larkin, J. Because of this, the majorityof married adults must deal with childcare issues: either daytime care forchildren under school age or provisions for supervision of older childrenduring vacations, illnesses, and after-school hours. Most largecompanies either have a menu of flexible options already in place or areconsidering them. Supervision, 56 (9), 1 -13.----------------------- 1 175).As the government and other companies began to seriously implement flexiblework options, managers started to recognize numerous ways of putting thesetwo requirements into practical action.
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