Flex-Time: For Economy and Family.
When my first child was born, I was 32, married twice, divorced once, with an MBA from Wharton and a senior marketing job at Johnson & Johnson. My primary work/family observation following my child’s arrival: I still had time, brain cells and energy to work fulltime.
But if I wanted to actually see my baby, I needed flexibility. My child’s waking hours clashed directly with my 8-6 office hours and 90 minute round-trip commute. Solving the problem before it became one, Johnson & Johnson allowed me to work at home two days a week. Giving me flexibility was free for J&J and priceless to me. In the 12 years since, I’ve regularly wondered why more companies don’t offer this win-win flexibility to new parents, even on a temporary basis.
Today’s economy, surprisingly, may push companies in the flextime direction. Usually during recessionary economic times, unemployment increases, making people desperate to keep their jobs. Employers’ negotiating leverage escalates and benefits diminish.
This economy is unusual due to one three-letter word: gas. Turns out the high price of oil is driving employers to offer flexible schedules so that their workers can commute less. The side benefit for parents: quite often, driving less means seeing our families more.
As reported in The New York Times, The U.S. Labor Department has produced a relatively short guide that lists the most common forms of flex-time arrangements, including these:
- The daily flex. Employees work nontraditional hours on a regular basis. If the typical workday at your company is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., some people may work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- The variable flex. Employees can take a break during the day — to attend a parent-teacher conference, for example — and can make up the time on either end of the workday.
- Core hours. Everyone must be in the office at a certain period, say 10 to 2, but employees may start as early as 6 a.m., leaving at 2 p.m., or begin at 10 and leave at 6 p.m.
- Occasional flex. Work hours are changed on a certain day of the week — the office opens an hour later on Fridays — or changed at a certain time of the year. “Summer hours,” for example, may mean the workday starts at 7:30 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.
- Longer days. Employees may work 10 hours a day, four days a week, instead of eight hours during five days.
- Working at home (at least part time).
Now that the U.S. government has put an official stamp on flextime, maybe more companies will add these sensible options to their employee handbooks. Are you allowed to flex your work hours? Why or why not? If your company needs a push, cut and paste these options and tape them to your boss’s computer. Think about it: how would a flexible schedule change your life?
10.16.08
I am totally mystified by the concept of working at home. How can you work and take care of children at the same time? Do they sleep that much? If you have more than one child, the total time when both a sleeping during the day is minimal. And if they are awake, working isn't really an option, is it?
08.08.08
I agree, my boss is a 60 something divorcee with grown children and a home that is paid off... working from home is not even on her radar and acts like I am asking her to grow a second head. My biggest frustration is that I have worked for this company 20 YEARS and have far proven my respect and loyalty to the job and the business and in this day in age with the price of gas, I am not asking something unreasonable or technologically impossible. I first began asking for this option on snow days when my sons school was cancelled, where I live that is maybe twice or three times a YEAR... but now many employers are doing this routinely on a weekly or biweekly basis...My boss is just not willing to budge and I could cry at the hoopes I jump thru for my son.
08.05.08
Leslie Morgan Steiner
Westchester -- a great story. You probably don't think of yourself as a radical trailblazer for working one day a week at home. But I do. You are cracking the flextime wall -- just as important as cracking the glass ceiling -- by showing employers, co-workers, and your children that it can be done. This is your way of having it all.
08.04.08
I agree about flex-time...I work from home one day a week and I would probably stop working if I could not have this arrangement. I work for a bank and I am fortunate that most large banks offer this benefit. I know A LOT of people are afraid to ask for flex time, but most people I know at this bank and my former employers (banks) - all received some sort of flex time. The women I know that are unable to take advantage are the traders, but they generally leave at a reasonabale hour. I am definitely a more loyal employee and I wouldn't jump to a new company without this option. The change I hope to see if that more men take advantage of the benefit. Many of the guys on my team (80% of the team) will work from home at least a few days a year, but they don't have a set schedule similar to my schedule. They are afraid of the "stigma" and they think it is important to show your face everyday. I was able to move away from this old fashioned way of thinking at my former employer because I managed people in 6 cities. I was always on the phone and very few members of my team were located in NY. I realized that I could effectively do my job from any location. In order for flex arrangements to be mroe acceptable - more men have to participate and it can't just be for child care reasons. It would be great if more people tried flex arrangements due to high gas prices, crowded trains etc. They would realize that people are actually working at home and most are very produtive.