As today’s workforce continues to evolve and change, and competition for highly skilled talent increases, more and more employers are looking for ways to attract and retain the best of the best.

One way to do this is to provide flexible work arrangements that meet the diverse and ever changing needs of employees. But what does this mean?  Flexible work arrangements are programs where employees are given greater scheduling freedom in fulfilling the obligations of their positions. Developing these schedules has gone beyond “Flex Time” which is adjusting an employee’s start and ending time to meet family obligations.

With today’s fluid and diverse workforce, these flexible work alternatives are being sought and expected by employees and prospective employees alike. For example, the recent uproar both inside and outside Yahoo when new CEO Marisa Mayer rescinded the company’s remote working policy paints a prime example how flexible workplaces are the new norm.

Before instituting any formalized flexible work arrangements, it is important that organizations take the time to review and evaluate what flexible arrangements are in place. Are these programs effective in meeting the employee needs and the business requirements? How is productivity impacted by the arrangements? What more can be done to meet the needs of the workforce and maintain productivity.

According to Corporate Voices for Working Families “Tips for Creating a Flexible Work Environment,” flexible work arrangements may include the following:

  • Flextime: Modification in start and end times, often with required core hours for full-time employees
  • Compressed workweek: Compression of full-time job responsibilities into fewer than five days per week (often referred to as a 4/10), or fewer than 10 days in two weeks (often referred to as a 9/80)
  • Telework: Full-time work conducted up to several days a week at a site other than the primary worksite
  • Remote work: Full-time work conducted at home or another site with limited presence at a regular company facility
  • Part time: Reduced hours or schedule, with a corresponding reduction in job responsibilities and pay, as well as an adjustment of benefits
  • Job sharing: Two employees on reduced schedules and workload share overlapping responsibilities of a full-time position
  • Paid time off (PTO) and other time off: PTO banks, use of sick and vacation time in part‐day increments, and “just in time” time off
  • Shift swapping and Occasional flexibility: Flexibility that is not regularly scheduled but is used from time to time (i.e., time off taken in small increments with the ability to make it up in the same pay period, shifting start and end times because of an appointment or event, working from home on occasion, etc.)

When an organization has identified the types of flexible work arrangements that will sustain its productivity and meet the needs of its workforce, measures should be taken to fully incorporate the arrangements into the organization’s policies and procedures. The first step is a solid communication effort that provides employees with an overview of what the flexible work arrangement options are and the proper procedure for taking advantage of them. It is important to be consistent in officially processing an employee’s request for flexible work arrangement. This process should include an employee’s flexible work arrangement proposal with the following elements:

  • Description of proposed flexible work arrangement:
  • Current schedule and desired/proposed schedule;
  • Current job responsibilities and requirements and how the proposed flexible work arrangement will ensure job requirements are met;
  • Potential challenges/effects of proposed arrangement and how employee will address them for
    • The team, co‐workers and manager(s)
    • Customers/clients, both internal and external
    • Job/business/output and requirements
  • Measures of success — how the flexible work arrangement will be monitored and evaluated

The old saying is “The wind does not break the tree that can bend.” Are you ready to bend so that you may continue to flourish?