Flexible Work Schedules/Arrangements

Flexible work arrangements help employees eliminate their commute by providing them with alternate ways of working.

Telecommuting
Telecommuting eliminates the commute by allowing employees to work from home. Normally, this is done one or two days per week so the employee can interact with other employees, attend meetings, and handle other work-related tasks in the office the rest of the week.

• Improves employee productivity, morale, recruitment and retention
• Eliminates unproductive commuting time
• Less employee absenteeism and fewer late arrivals
• Eliminates the desire to find a job closer to home
• Eliminates the stress and un-productivity caused by long commutes
• Allows multiple employees to share workspace, office equipment and parking space
• Employees can work during extreme inclement weather or when other problems arise i.e., car troubles

Compressed Work Week
Compressed weeks have employees work a full-time schedule in fewer days in exchange for one day off each week. The day off can be the same for all employees, vary or rotate regularly. This option works best in organizations where employees require little contact with other employees, or where work functions are not disrupted by staff reduction. The most common types of compressed schedules are:

• 4/40
  40-hour week comprised of four, 10-hour days and one day off each week.
• 9/80
  80 hours worked over the course of two weeks comprised of eight 9-hour days, one 8-hour day and one day off.
• 3/36
  36-hour week comprised of three 12-hour days and two days off per week.

• Extended service hours
  Employees who work a compressed week, either come in early or leave late, which allows businesses to extend the hours they are available to customers. This is beneficial to businesses that have customers on the west coast and overseas, or those who work with the public. Extending the hours of service is accomplished without the expense of costly overtime rates, or hiring new part-time or temporary help.
  

• Increased productivity
  Employees tend to work harder so they don’t jeopardize their day(s) off.
  

• Reduced absenteeism
  Most doctor appointments and personal errands can be done on scheduled days off.
  

• Reduced operating costs
  Some businesses can benefit from reduced operating costs by closing one day a week.

Flextime
Flextime involves allowing employees to adjust the time they begin and end work, usually outside of peak commute times. Flextime is most effective at sites where employees require little contact with each other, and where staff reduction will not negatively impact work functions or client/customer contact.

Benefits:

• Extended service hours without overtime or hiring costs
• Reduced absenteeism since employees have greater flexibility in their work schedules to take care of personal needs.
• Increased productivity because employee work schedules are arranged around the hours they tend to be most productive.
• Time is not wasted on commuting
• Extended service hours