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InnovatIve
for Hourly Workers
WorkplaceflexIbIlIty optIons
Researched and wrien by WFD Consultng
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InnovativeWorkplaceFlexibilityOptionsforHourlyWorkers CorporateVoicesforWorkingFamilies1
AcknowledgmentsInnovativeWorkplaceFlexibilityOptionsforHourlyWorkersisaproductofCorporateVoicesforWorking
FamiliesWorkplaceFlexibilityProject.ThisreportwasresearchedandwrittenbyWFDConsulting.This
researchwassupportedbyagrantfromtheAlfredP.SloanFoundation.
TheauthorswouldliketothankArleneJohnsonforhervisionandleadershipinmakingthisprojecta
realityandKathleenChristensenforherguidanceandsupport.Wearealsoindebtedtooursupporters
atCorporateVoices,DonnaKleinandJohnWilcox,fortheirsponsorshipandencouragement.Weare
gratefultoEllenGalinskyandJenniferSwanbergfortheirexpertiseandadviceonthistopic.Thankyou
alsotoDebbieMagalhaesforherassistanceinpreparationofthisreport.
Wearegratefultoourparticipatingcompanies,BrightHorizons,Marriott,PNC,Procter&Gamble,anda
consumergoodsmanufacturerwhowishestoremainanonymous,forwithouttheirgenerosityand
cooperation,thestudywouldnothavebeenpossible.
Authors
AmyRichman
DianeBurrus
LisaBuxbaum
LaurieShannon
YoumeYai
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
Overview 3
CaseStudies 17
BrightHorizons 17
ConsumerGoodsManufacturer 27
Marriott 37
PNC 46
Procter&Gamble 62
SurveyFindings 71WorkplaceFlexibilityDefined 71
UseofFlexibility 72
SupportforFlexibility 79
FlexibilityCompatibility 85
FlexibilityImpacts 90
AbouttheSurvey 97
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OVERVIEW
Introduction
LowerwageworkersarecriticaltothegrowthandprosperityoftheU.S.economy,butthissegmentof
the workforce remains underserved in both policy and research discussions. There is only faint
recognitionthatmorethan25percentoftheU.S.workforcearelowerwageworkerswhoearnlessthan
$10 per hour (or less than $20,000 annually) and that significantexpansion in this laborsegment is
anticipatedastheeconomygrows.1,2Estimatessuggestthatthemajorityofnewjobscreatedinthenext
fewyearswillbe lowerwage.Greaterattentiontothiscategoryofworkerespeciallytothefactors
thatenabletheirstability,contributionandproductivityisvitalbothtothehealthofbusinessesand
tothewellbeingofthemillionsofindividualsinthelowerwageworkforce.
Workplaceflexibilityis oneoftheareasinwhichworkplacepolicyforlowerincomeworkershasbeen
lacking but inwhich there is great potential for impact and change. Recent academic researchand
business reports have demonstrated strong positive outcomes of flexibility for businesses andemployees.This researchonthebusinesscaseforworkplace flexibilityhasproventobeinfluential,
bothingarneringtheattentionofbusinessandthepressandalsoindemonstratingthefeasibilityand
importanceofworkplaceflexibilityasabusinesstool.3However,thefocustodatehasbeenprimarilyon
management andprofessionalworkers, and relatively little attention has gone to how andwhether
voluntaryflexibilitycanworkforlowerwageemployeesandtheiremployers.Littleisknownaboutwhat
kinds of flexibility are successful in lower wage jobs, resulting in a common assumption among
employers and managers that flexibility is less feasible, effective or necessary for these positions.
Research shows that, for a variety of reasons, lower wage workers generally have less access to
voluntaryflexibilitythanhigherwageworkers.Butwhenitisavailabletothispopulation,flexibilitycan
haveequalorevenmorepowerfuloutcomes.4
Thepurposeof this projectwas tocreatebroaderawarenessof thepositivebusinessand employee
impactsofflexibilityforlowerwagehourlyandnonexemptworkersandtoprovidepracticaltoolsand
informationabouttheconditionsandpracticesthatmakeflexibilitypossibleandprofitable.
Theprojectsoughttoanswerseveralresearchquestions.
Whatmotivatestheprovisionofanduseofflexibilityforemployersandlowerwageworkers? Whatarethecriticalsuccessfactorsfromboththeorganizationalandemployeeperspectives? Howdoorganizationsdealwithandovercomethebarrierstoflexibility? Howdoorganizations ensurethat businessresults have been achieved in theareasof talent
management,humancapitaloutcomesandfinancialperformance?
Basedonresearchinfiveorganizations,thisreportprovidesdocumentedsuccessfulflexibilitypractice,itsbusinessimpactandthepracticallessonslearnedfromcorporateexperiencewithflexibilityforlower
wagehourlyandnonexemptworkers.Thereportpresentsfivecasestudiesofflexibilitybestpractices,
quantitativesurvey findings about flexibilityuseand impacts,and practical flexibilityimplementation
guidesformanagersandemployeeswithconcretetipsandtools.
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DescriptionoftheStudy
During 2007 and 2008, five organizations that had already implemented flexibility successfullywith
someportion(atleast200employees)oftheirlowerwageworkforce(generallythoseearning$12per
hourorless)foratleast12monthswerestudied.5Insomecasestheflexibilitythatisbeingdocumented
extends across the company; inother cases it has been implemented in a divisionor sector of thebusinessorwithinspecificworkteams.Companiesparticipatedinbothqualitativeandquantitativedata
collection. Theparticipating organizations represent diverse industries (financial services, hospitality,
child care and consumer products) and job types (customerfacing workers as well as operations
workers). Participating employees include child care providers, customer service representatives,
operationsspecialists,productionworkers,administrativeassistants,salesagentsandothers.
WorkplaceFlexibilityDefined
Theflexibilitypracticesinvestigatedfallintothreecategoriesthataddressdistinctneedsoflowerwage
workers.Researchhasshownthatgiventhenatureoftheirjobs,economicconstraintsandfamilyneeds,thetypesofflexibilitythatarepossibleandbeneficialaresomewhatdifferentforlowerwageworkers
than forhigherwageworkers.Thusthetypesof flexibilitystudied includeseveralofthetraditional
forms of alternativework arrangements but also extend to include the flexibility that results from
greateremployeecontroloverschedulingandfrompersonnelpoliciesregardingoccasionalorepisodic
flexibilitytwoareasinwhichlowerwageemployeeshavehistoricallyhadlessaccessthanexemptand
higherpaidemployees.
(1) alternativeworkschedulesschedulesthatdepartfromthestandardfivedayperweek,fulltime schedule, such as flexible start and end times, compressed workweeks, telework, and
voluntaryparttimewithproratedpayandbenefits(definitionsofthemostcommonalternative
workschedulesareprovidedattheendofthereport);
(2) employee control over scheduling to accommodate personal preferences or familyresponsibilitiesflexiblescheduling,selfscheduling,shiftswappingandcontrolofunscheduled
overtime;
(3) progressivepersonnel policies forhourlyworkers that enable employees tomanage periodicandunscheduledpersonalandfamilyneedsandemergencies(sickleave,timeoffandtheuseof
episodicflexibility).
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Methodology
Thedataforthisreportcomefromseveralsources:reviewofcompanybusinessinformationconcerning
flexibilitypolicies andresults,aquantitativesurvey, andqualitativefocusgroupsandinterviews. The
surveywas conductedprimarilyonlinewithmore than200managersandapproximately 1,300lower
wage,nonexemptandhourlyworkerswhoutilizeflexibility.Asmallcomparisonsamplewasincludedofabout130employeeswhoperformcomparablejobsinthesamecompaniesbutdonotuseflexibility. 6
Printedsurveyswereusedinoneorganizationinwhichemployeesdidnothaveaccesstocomputersor
theInternetat theworkplace. (See AbouttheCorporateVoicesSurveyon Flexibility forHourlyand
NonexemptWorkerslaterinthereportforadetaileddescription.)
Twentyfivefocusgroups(21groupswithemployeesandfourgroupswithmanagers)and25interviews
were conducted with middle and seniorlevel human resources (HR) and line managers; in one
organization, six individual interviews were conducted with firstlevelmanagers in place of a focus
group. Most of the interviews and focus groups were conducted in person; three groups with
teleworkingemployeesand four interviewswithmanagerswereconductedviatelephoneconference
call.
BusinessDriversofFlexibility
Flexibility has often been positioned as simply an accommodation to employees, but the data
summarized in this reportdemonstrate that employers cangain tremendous benefit fromproviding
flexibilityinwhenandhowworkgetsdone.Flexibilityasithasbeenimplementedinthesecompaniesis
used as a management tool to address a variety of business needs: to effectively manage human
resources(recruit,develop,retaintalent),controlcostsandincreaseproductivity.
Inchildcare,wherethereisashortageofqualifiedearlychildhoodteachers,flexibleworkoptionsisa
talent strategyto recruit and retain individualswho are committed totheir professionand totapa
widerlaborpoolthanmightbepossiblewithmorelimitedchoiceofworkschedule.
Companies have found that offering flexible schedulesandinnovativetimeoffpoliciescontributes to
beinganemployerofchoiceforyoungerworkersintheircompetitivelabormarkets.
Forpositionsincustomerserviceandsaleswithtypicallyhighturnover,flexibilityisawaytokeephigh
performingemployees inboth theshort term and the long term. These companies use flexibility to
respond tothechangingneedsoftheir workersover the life course (goingback toschool,raising a
family)ortoretainmatureworkers.
Flexiblework options are being used in businesses with continuous operations that needweekendcoverageorwhosebusinesshoursextendbeyonda9to5,eighthourday.Thisincludesvoluntarypart
timepositionsaswellasflextimeandcompressedworkschedules.
Flexibleschedules arean effectivemeans ofmanagingpersonnel costs, inparticularovertime costs,
whichisawinwinforemployeesandthebusiness.Flexibilityiscostandresourceneutralwhenplanned
forand personnel andproductivity costsof unscheduledabsences areavoided. Bybuildingflexibility
into the staffingmodels,someof the companies reduce overtime costsand offer more controland
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choicetoemployeesover theirworkinghours. Inaddition,someofthecompanieshavedocumented
productivitygainsandcycletimereductionsasaresultofimplementingflexibleworkoptions.
Theseinnovationsinflexibilityareprovidingnonexemptandhourlyworkerswiththeaccesstoflexibility
that has become more commonplace for professionallevel workers not only the formal
arrangementsbuttheoccasional,justintimeflexibilitythatmaybethedifferencebetweenkeeping
orlosingonesjob.
FlexibilityBestPractices
Thefollowingexamplesillustratehowseveralflexibilityoptionshavebeensuccessfullyimplementedin
avarietyofhourlyandnonexemptjobs.
Flextimeinproduction,operationsandothersettingsinwhichcoverageisessential
Mostpeopleassumethatflextimewillnotworkinaproductionenvironment,butwefoundthat
productionteamsinseveralcompaniesdohaveflextimescheduleseitherformalarrangementsor
occasionalflextimemanagedattheteamlevel.
Inaconsumergoodsmanufacturingplant,employeesarrange,withtheapprovaloftheirworkteams,to
eitherworkuptotwohoursattheendofthepreviousshiftoratthebeginningof thefollowingshift.
Membersofonesownshiftcovertheirworkonthatday.Thistypeof flexibilityisusedfrequentlyto
enableshiftworkerstoparticipateintheirchildrensextracurricularandsportsactivitiesortoattenda
regularweeklyappointmentorclass.
Inbankoperationsinwhichtheusualworkdayis8:00a.m.to4:30p.m.,teamshaveflextimeschedules
thatstartasearlyas6a.m.andendaslateas5:30p.m.;staffchoosestarttimesin15minuteorhalf
hourintervalsupto8:30.Teamstypicallyhavedailyserviceleveltargetsthatmustbemetandeveryone
ontheteam,regardlessofworkschedule,contributestowardmeetingthegoal.Intheseenvironments,theflexibleschedulesbuildteamworkandgreaterownershipofresults.Bothemployeesandmanagers
alsoreportedthatstaffcanbemoreproductiveduringearlymorningandlateafternoonhourswhenthe
volumeof customer interactionsis lower,allowingemployees tocompletetasks that aremore time
consumingorrequireresearchormorefocusedattention.
Inchildcarecenterswith11and12houroperations,flextimemeetsseveralbusinessneeds.Itisaway
tohavestaffwithappropriatecertificationlevelsonsitealldaysothatthecenterisincompliancewith
stateregulationsconcerningstafftochildratiosandtraining.Itisresponsivetothepeaksandvalleysof
businessbymatchingstaffinglevelstothefluctuationincustomerdemand.Itenablesthedirectorsto
recruithighqualitystaffcommittedtotheearlychildhoodfieldastheirprofessionbyofferingfulltime
teachingpositionstostudentsenrolledincollegeorgraduateschoolcourses.
Flexibleflexibilitypoliciesandjustintimetimeoffreducesabsenteeismandovertimeand
increasesretention
Companiesofferseveralinnovativeexamplesofjustintimetimeoff.Successfuljustintimetime
offpracticesareafunctionofprogressivepersonnelpolicies,supportivemanagerattitudes,accurate
knowledgeofpeaksandvalleysinworkdemands,andefficientschedulingtools.
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Company flexibility and timeoff policies as they pertain to nonexempt and hourly workers are
fundamentaltodeterminingwhetheremployeesareabletomanagethedaytodaylifesituationsthat
arisewithoutincurringpenaltiesinperformanceorcompensation.Employersinthisprojecthaveputin
placepoliciesandbenefitsthatprovidenonexemptandhourlyworkersaccesstoflexibility,bothformal
arrangements and justintime flexibility. This type of occasional flexibility is greatly valued by
employeesandhasbecomemorecommonamongprofessionallevelworkersbutisstilluncommonfor
nonexempt and hourly positions in which attendance policies are rigorously enforced. Participating
companieseitherhavepoliciesthatenableemployeestotakevacationtime,personaltimeandsicktime
inhourlyincrementsratherthanwholedaysortheindividualmanagersallowemployeestotaketime
offinsmallunits.Justintimetimeoffalsoreferstotheabilitytotakesinglevacationdaysonshort
noticeinsystemsinwhichvacationisoftenscheduledinweeklyincrementsseveralmonthsinadvance.
Theabilitytousesomepersonaltimeeithervacationtimeorsicktimeinsmallincrementsenables
employeestotakecareofpersonalorfamilymattersastheyariseevenifthebulkofvacationtimemust
bescheduledlonginadvanceandtakeninlargerunits.Thisreducescalloffsandavoidsshortstaffing
andovertime(abenefittobothcoworkersandthecompany)sincetheemployeecantakeoffanhour
ortwoinsteadofbeingoutforanentireday.Beingabletomakeupacoupleofmissedhoursatanother
timewithinthepayperiodalsohasatremendousimpactonworkerswhoarecountingoneveryhourofpay.Aswithusingtimeoffinsmallincrements,theabilitytomakeuptimeisalsolessdisruptiveto
staffingsinceemployeesarenotforcedtocallinsickortakeanentireorhalfshiftoffbecausetheyneed
togotoanappointmentorbeanhourlate.
Anecessaryelementofbeingabletoallowemployeestimeoffonshortnoticeisbuildingthecapacity
fortimeoffintothestaffingmodel.Whilemanagersmightassumethiswouldmeanschedulingexcess
staff,thatisnotnecessarilythecase.Managersreportedthatjustintimeflexibilityactuallyenables
them to manage their existing staffing resources better because, they have found, allowing small
amountsof flexibility reducesthe overallnumberofcalloffsor callouts(unscheduledabsences)
whichotherwiseresultinovertimecosts,stressandefficiency/effectivenessproblems.
Onecompanyannuallyissuesa certainnumber of timeoffcoupons tocallcenteremployeeswith
ongoingperformanceincentivestoearnmore.Employeeslogontothecallcentersschedulingsystem
todetermineifthereareavailableslotsinthescheduletouseatimeoffcouponforagivenday.Incases
inwhichemployeesarehomewithasickchildorhaveanothertypeofpersonalemergency,theycan
callthemanagerondutytocheckforavailabletimeoffslots.Timeoffpoliciesandofferingemployeesa
mechanismtohavemorecontrolovertheirscheduleshasenabledthecompanytoengageandretain
youngworkersinanindustryandlabormarketinwhichturnoveristypicallyhigh.
Inacontinuousproductionenvironment,oneteamincorporatesenoughresourcesintothestaffingplan
sothateveryday,twoteammemberscangetthedayoff.Allteammembersnamesarelistedonthe
scheduleandasanemployeesnamereachesthetopofthelist,he/shehasthechoiceofeithertaking
thedayoffwithoutpayorworkingtheextraday.Someemployeespreferthetimeoff,whileothers
prefertheextrapay;thebenefitofthesystemisgivingtheemployeeschoiceandcontrolovertimeoff.
Teleworkforadministrativeassistantsandcustomerservicerepresentatives
Teleworkfornonexemptandhourlyworkersmaybethefastestgrowingflexibilitypracticeaspressure
toreduceoperatingcostsprovidesincentivesforbusinessestodecreaseofficespaceatthesametime
thattechnologyadvancesmakeworkingathomemorefeasible.Asignofthisshifttowardteleworkasa
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businessstrategyisthatnewemployeesarebeingrecruitedforteleworkpositionsinadditiontothe
morecommonpracticeoftransitioningofficeworkerstoteleworkarrangements.
Typically theadministrative assistant position has had very little flexibilitybecause being present at
onesdeskatalltimesofthedaytoanswerthephoneandprovidesupportformanagershasbeenthe
keyrequirementofthejob.Althoughthetechnologyisavailabletoperformkeyjobresponsibilitiesof
the administrative assistant position effectively from a distance, manager attitudes have been the
biggest barrier to telework and other flexible scheduling options for support personnel. In one
participating company, a very resultsbased organization inwhich many of the managers are quite
mobilethemselves,administrativeassistantsareabletoteleworkveryeffectivelyoneormoredaysper
week. Administrative employees who are part of a team determine a coverage schedule among
themselvessoatleastonesupportpersonisattheofficeeachday.Employeesproactivelycommunicate
their schedules and contact information andutilizeemail, instantmessaging and call forwarding to
maintainsatisfactorylevelsofaccessibilityandresponsivenessformanagersandcustomers.
Therehasbeenanincreaseinthenumberofcompaniesthatareimplementinghomeagentprograms,
whichisechoedintheexpansioninthenumberofteleworkingcustomerservicerepresentativesamong
thecompaniesinthestudy.Whilesomecompaniesaretransitioningemployeeswhoformerlyworkedonsitetoworkathome,othersinourstudyareusingteleworkasacomprehensivetalentstrategythat
includes recruiting, training andmanaging remotely. Teleworkhasenabled these employers to staff
hardtofillhourswithhighlymotivated,highperformingindividualsbytappingnewsegmentsofthe
talentpoolandrehiringalumniwhoselifecircumstanceshavechanged.Thesetargetemployeesinclude
employees in rural areas,mothersof young children, students and individualswithother scheduling
requirementswhowouldnotbeavailableotherwiseforeitherstandardweekdayhours,eveninghours
orweekend hours at the company office location. Telework also helps companies to retain valued
employeeswith significant family commitments; sometelework fora couple ofdayseachweekand
comeintotheofficeotherdays,andsomemoveintoaparttimeteleworkpositionforaperiodoftime.
Withoutteleworkoptions,managersandemployeesreport,theemployeesinquestionwouldprobably
have quit their jobs altogether. Equipping employees to telework has provided companies withincreased capacity to handle unexpected situations everything from inclement weather to an
unexpectedlyhigh volumeof calls.Havingemployees setup to telework allowsmanagers to rapidly
deploystafftochangingworkpriorities.
Teambasedcompressedworkweekschedules
Although compressedworkweeks are common in some occupations and industries, we foundmore
typesofjobsinwhichcompressedworkschedulesweresuccessfulandmorepositiveoutcomesthan
previous research had indicated. For example, a child care center director viewed the compressed
workweek schedule as a strategy to provide more staff continuity and consistency and reduce the
amountofunscheduledabsences.Althoughteacherswerenotintheclassroomoneoutoffivedays
eachweek,byworkingfourlongerdays,teacherswereabletocovertheentire10hoursofoperationon
thedaystheywereworking.Thismeansfewerparttimeemployeesfillinginatthebeginningandendof
thedayandmoreoverallconsistencyinstaffing.Afteraninitialadjustmentperiod,parents(customers)
indicatedtheyweresatisfiedwithbeingabletoseethesameteacherintheclassroomatthebeginning
andendoftheday.Thecompressedschedulesproducetheintendedresultsmoreproductivityand
lessunscheduledabsenteeismasstaffareabletotakecareofpersonalneedsontheirweekdaydayoff.
Reductioninemployeeworkrelatedexpensessuchastransportationandchildcarecostsareadditional
benefitsfortheemployeeswithcompressedworkweeks.
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Fulltimebenefitsat30hours
Someoftheemployersofferfulltimebenefitsat30hoursasawaytoattractandretainhighquality
staffwhomaybestudents,havesecondjobsorhavesignificantfamilyresponsibilities,makingitdifficult
towork40hoursperweek.Italsoenablesthesecompaniestostaffhardertofilllatedayorweekend
shifts.Thisisatotalrewardsdifferentiatorintheirindustriesandaneffectivetalentstrategy.
Careerflexibility flexibilityoverthelifecycle
We found that employers have implementedcareer flexibility an emerging talent strategy that is
beingutilizedinthecompetitionforkeytalentasawayofattractingand,moreimportantly,retaining
nonexemptandhourlyemployeeswhoarecommittedtotheirindustries.Inhospitalityandchildcare,
workersjointhecompanyatanentryleveland,throughflexibilityandothersupports(suchascompany
sponsored continuingeducation or tuitionreimbursement), areable todevelopskillsandexperience
andmoveupthroughtheorganization.Inourstudy,severalmanagersanddepartmentheadsbeganin
lowerpaidpositionsthemselves.Itisnotuncommonforworkerstojointhesecompaniesearlyintheir
workcareers,evenasparttimeworkersinhighschoolorcollege;continuetoworkparttimethrough
school;becomefulltimewhentheygraduate;andthenchangetheirhoursormovetoadifferentrole
foraperiodoftimewhentheystartafamily.Severalparticipantsinthestudyhadmovedfromteam
lead ormanagementpositionsto otherpositions inorder toworkpart time, teleworkor havemorecontrolovertheirhoursatcertainpointsintheirpersonalorfamilylives.Someolderworkershadjoined
the company recently expressly looking for flexible working situations,while otherswere longterm
employeeswhodesiredmoreflexibilityintheirworkschedulesforpersonalorfamilyreasonstocare
forafamilymemberortohavemoreleisuretime.
Employeedesignedschedulesforcontinuousoperations
In some companies, scheduling by employee preference is replacing the traditional bidding system,
therebygivingemployeesmorecontrolovertheirschedules.Whenonecompanywenttoacontinuous
operation (24 hours x 7 days all year), management approached the two teams involved in the
operation and challenged them todevelop thework schedules. The two teams cameupwith quite
differentsolutionsthathavebeeninplaceforseveralyears.Andinbothcases,theymovedawayfromsenioritybasedscheduling.Oneteamdeveloped anannual schedule that indicates allan employees
workdaysanddaysofffarinadvance.Employeesthensubmittheirvacationrequests,whichgetadded
tothemasterschedule.Employeesstillhavetheopportunitytoswapshiftsoruseflextimeasneedsfor
flexibilitycomeuponshortnotice.Theotherproductionteamadoptedajustintimetimeoffsystem
inwhicheveryday,twoteammemberscangetthedayoff.
Employeemanagedshifttrades
Atcompaniesinthestudy,for themostpartemployeesarearrangingshifttradesandinformingtheir
managersratherthanmanagersbeinginthemiddleoftheprocess.Thishasseveralpositiveeffectsit
empowers employees to solve problems; increases teamwork, reciprocity and ownership of the
solution;reducesmanagementtime;andspeedsdecisionmaking.Onasmallerscale,butusedmore
frequently,employees coverhours foreach other in situations inwhich they need time offonshort
notice.Companiesusevarioussystemsfordocumentingshifttradesandoccasionaladjustmentstowork
hours,aswellasmechanismsforinformingcustomersandcoworkers;theseincludeschedulesposted
inprominentlocations,onlinestaffcalendarsandmoresophisticatedcomputerbasedstaffingsystems.
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KeySurveyFindings
Thesurveyresultsdemonstratethatlowerwageworkersutilizeawidearrayofflexibilityoptionsand
thatflexibilityusehaspowerfulbenefitsforenhancingthewellbeingandproductivityoflowerwage
workers,aswellastheeffectivenessoftheorganizationsthatemploythem.
Useofformalflextimeandcertainoccasionalflexibility/timeoffstrategiesisprevalent. Half
ormoreofrespondentsoccasionallyadjusttheirworkhoursforpersonal/familymattersoruse
vacationtimeinhourlyorpartialdayincrements,andfourin10useformalflextime.Takingpaid
timeoffonshortnotice,tradingshiftswithcoworkers,takingtimeoffduringtheworkdayto
takecareofpersonal/familymattersandtakingadditionaltimeoffwithoutpayareusedbyat
leastonethirdofsurveyrespondents.
Someoccasionalflexibilityandtimeoffoptionsareeasiertoaccessthanothers.Themajorityofemployeeshaverelativelylittledifficultyaccessingvacationtimein partialday increments,
occasionallyadjustingworkhoursortradingshiftswithcoworkers.Buttakingbreakswhenyou
wantto,takingtimeoffduringtheworkdayandtakingadditionaltimeoffwithoutpayaremore
difficulttoaccess.
Employees utilize multiple formal and occasional flexibility and timeoff options to meetbusiness andpersonal needs. Inexamining thewide andvariedoptions,wediscovered that
employeesutilizeamosaicofdifferentflexibilityoptionstomeettheirworkandpersonalneeds.
Onaverage,respondentsuseaboutfourtypesofflexibilityortimeoffstrategies.
Womenaremorelikelytousevariousflexibilityoptionsthanmen. Womenaremorelikelythan men to be using both formal and occasional flexibility including flextime, compressed
workweek, teleworking, occasional adjustment of start and end times, shift trades with co
workers,andtimeoffduringtheworkdayforpersonal/familymatters.
Youngerworkersaremorelikelytouseoccasionalflexibility,whileolderworkersuseformalarrangementsmoreoften.Theyoungestrespondentsarelesslikelytomakeuseofflextime,
compressed workweeks or teleworking. They are more likely, however, to make use of
occasionalflexibilitysuchastradingshiftswithcoworkers. Employees with childrenaremore likely touse flexibility than other employees,especially
employeeswithveryyoungorschoolagechildren.
Managers are the main conduit for information about flexibility options, especially foremployeeswhohaveformalflexibleworkarrangements.Assuch,itisimportanttonotethat
abouttwothirdsofmanagershavetheinformationneededtoassistemployeeswithflexibility.
Coworkerswhouse flexibility themselves are thenext most common resource on flexibility
options.
Thetypesandnumberofflexibilityoptionsusedhaveanimpactonemployeesatisfactionandflexibilityfit.Theuseof severaltypesofformalflexibility,occasionallyadjustingoneswork
hours as well as the number of flexibility options used all influence flexibility fit and
satisfaction.
7
The highest satisfaction and flexibility fit is among employees who usecompressedworkweeks.Theeaseofuseofflexibilityoptionsandthesupportforflexibilityfrom
various company constituents are also related to flexibility fit and satisfaction with a
companysflexibilityopportunities.
Managersandemployeesagreethatflexibilityhaspositive impactsforthebusinessandfortheemployee.Thereisstrongagreementamongflexibilityusersandtheirmanagersconcerning
the positive influence of flexibility on productivity, customer service, employee worklife
effectiveness,stressandwellbeing.
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Havingflexibilityfitisstronglyrelatedtoemployeesconnectiontotheiremployerandtheirwellbeing.Employeeswhohavetheflexibilitytheyneedhave55percenthigherengagement,
55percentlessstress,and45percentlowerturnoverintentionthanemployeeswhodonot.
Theuseof formal flexibility arrangements,the numberof flexibility arrangements,andtheease of access to occasional and timeoff strategies all predict higher engagement, lower
turnoverandlessstress.
Morethan80percentofmanagersandemployeessayflexibilityisimportanttorecruitmentandretention,andalmostaquarterofemployeesusingflexibilitywouldleavethecompanyif
theydidnothavetheopportunitytoworkflexibly.
Managers and employees, regardless of their experience with flexibility, concur that thenatureofnonexemptandhourlyjobsaswellasthecurrentlevelofworkloadarethemain
barrierstoaccessingflexibility. Inaddition,employeescitecompanypoliciesandsupervisors
attitudes,andmanagerscitecoverageneedsaskeyobstaclestotheuseofflexibility.
Nineoutof10respondentswhodonotcurrentlyuseflexibilitywoulddoso ifitwereofferedwithoutpenalty. Lack of access to flexibilityoptions in their currentpositions is theprimary
reasonthatmoreemployeesdonotuseflexibility.
One in five respondents is regularly expected towork overtimewith little or no advancenotice. Onefifth of employees say their managers, without asking first, assume they areavailableforovertimeasfrequentlyasseveraltimesamonthandreportthatrefusingtowork
extrahourswouldjeopardizejobadvancementorretention.
SuccessFactors
Successfulimplementationofflexibilityinlowerwagehourlyandnonexemptenvironmentsincludes
betteruseoftechnology,staffingaccordingtodemand,crosstraining,managementpracticesthat
encourageemployeeinvolvementandteambasedsolutions,consistentuseofclearpolicies,leadership
andaccountabilityforsupportofflexibility,andintentionalcommunication.
Buildflexibilityuseintostaffingmodelstomaintainproductivityandavoidcostsofunscheduled
absences
A cornerstone of creating successful flexible schedules is thorough knowledge of the workflow and
peaksandvalleysindemand,coupledwithsufficientstaffingresourcestodesignalternativeschedules.
Apparentlimitsonstaffingresourcesmayindicatethatcreatingmoreflexibilitywouldnotbepossible.
Often, unscheduled absences and other timeoff events actuallymask the fact that the number of
availablestaffisconsiderablylessthanthenumberofpersonnelresourcesinthestaffingmodel.When
managersunderstandthehiddencoststheyarealreadyincurringfromunscheduledabsencesdueto
lackofflexibilityoptionsandaddresstheissuesbybuildinginsufficientstaffingresources,proactively
managing scheduling and enabling some schedule flexibility, they find they can maintain or reduce
overalllaborcostsbyavoidingovertimeandunplannedstaffingissues.Employeeswhoarecrosstrainedandaredesignatedasfloaters,aswellasretireesandsubsarebuiltintothestaffingmodelstofillslots
and provide coverage for peak times or for employees who have requested time off. Historical
informationaboutstaffingneedsaswellasonlineschedulingsystemsarevaluabletoolsformanagersto
predictstaffingneedsanddesignflexibleschedules.
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Engageemployeesindevelopingteambasedflexibilitysolutionsthatmeetbusinessandpersonal
needs
Starting with a solid understanding of the business parameters, asking employees what they want,
listeningtotheirideasandbeingopentocreativenewwaysofschedulingarekeytodesigningtherange
offlexibleworkoptionsthatwillworkforemployeesandthebusiness.Whileitmayrequiremoretime
initially, involving employees in developing the potential flexible work options and getting team
consensus andsupportbuilds commitmenttomeetingbusinessgoalsandownershipof theflexibility
solutions.Thisprocessofthinkingoutsidetheboxisoftenessentialtodevelopinginnovativesolutions
that will meet business as well as employee needs. Pilots of potential flexibility solutions that are
evaluatedafteraspecifiedperiodoftimeandthenrevisediftheyarenotmeetingtheintendedpurpose
havehadpositiveresultsthatthenareexpandedtoincludemoreemployeesoveralongertimeperiod.
Empoweringemployeesandtrust
Successful flexibility requires selecting and hiring responsible people, clearly communicating
expectations,providingthenecessaryinformationandtools,andthenempoweringandtrustingthemto
delivertherequiredresults.Inworkgroupsinwhichflexibleworkpracticesarecommonplace,managers
encourageandexpectemployeestoresolveissues,developsolutionsandusethemanagersmoreas
resourcesandforfinalapprovalofschedulingchanges.Employeesaremorelikelytoagreetocoverfortheircolleaguesknowingthattheircolleagueshaveand/orwillcoverfortheminexchange.Employee
empowermentfromlessonslearnedaboutworkingflexiblygeneralizetootheraspectsoftheworksuch
that teammemberstakeongreaterresponsibilityandaccountabilityforoverallteamfunctioningand
results.
Both managers and employees note the importance ofmutual trust and respect in the success of
flexibleworkarrangements,particularlywhenemployeesareteleworking.Themanagermusttrustthat
theemployeesareworkingastheywouldbeiftheywereintheoffice,eventhoughthemanagercannot
see them. Agreements on expectations and objective measures of performance are important. In
productionenvironments,inwhichsystemsarealreadyinplacethatprovidemanagerswithinformation
aboutproductivityandperformanceagainstgoals,evidencesuggeststhatemployeeswhoteleworkareactuallymoreproductivethanemployeeswhoworkattheofficelocation.
Createaccountability,provideinformationandsupportformanagerstopromoteflexiblework
practicesintheirunits
In companies inwhich success of flexiblework options has been sustained, there is leadership and
support from the organization. Senior managers connect flexibility to their corporate values and
understandtherelationshipbetweenflexibilityandemployeeengagement;theysupportmanagersand
holdthemaccountableforprovidingflexibilitytotheiremployees.Thecompanyinvestsintrainingand
communication on implementation of flexiblework arrangements for employees, managers and HR
professionals;theyprovideopportunitiesformanagerstodiscusstheirexperiences,problemsolveand
sharestoriesofsuccessfulflexibilitythroughouttheorganization.
Developclearpolicies,proceduresandguidelinesandutilizethemtoensureconsistent,fairtreatment
Consistencystandsoutasoneofthemostimportantfactorscontributingtothesuccessofflexiblework
practices.Clearflexibilitypolicies,guidelinesandabusinessbased flexibleworkarrangementrequest
processprovidetheinfrastructureandguidanceforemployeesrequestingflexibleworkarrangements
andmanagersapprovingflexibilityrequests.Thisguidanceisparticularlyimportantformanagersfaced
withdifficultdecisionsorcompetingrequests,especiallyiftheflexibilityguidelinesareclearaboutthe
business considerations thatmust bemet for flexible work arrangements tobeapproved. Equity is
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achieved through all employees having access to a fair and consistent flexibility process, but the
flexibilitydecisionsandapprovalsmayvarydependingonthenatureofthework,coverageneeds,job
requirements,etc. Incompanies inwhich flexibilityis beingutilizedeffectively,managersenforcethe
policiestoensurefairnessandequitywhilealsobeingopentoandsupportiveofflexibilityasabusiness
and management tool, and they approve requests whenever possible. Where existing company
flexibility policies do not address the needs of nonexempt or hourly positions, HR is often a good
resourceforlinemanagers,providingguidanceincraftingappropriateflexibleworkoptionpolicies.In
some cases, employee committees have proposed flexibility options and guidelines that were then
approvedbymanagement.
Communication
Effective communication is even more important to high performance when workgroups utilize
flexibilitythanwhenteammembersallworkonthesamescheduleinthesamelocation.Postingweekly
anddaily schedules online or in strategic locations, aswell as updating in real time critical business
informationsuchasdailyproductivitytargetsandstatusondeadlines,ensuresthatallstaffareinformed
aboutexpectationsandstaffavailabilityregardlessofthehoursorlocationofwork.Makingthestaffing
schedules readily available and communicating the coverage parameters also facilitates employee
requests foranyschedulechangesor timeoffandempowers themtoproactively find solutions, thussaving management time and enhancing employee ownership of the arrangements. Managers are
proactiveaboutconnectingwithemployeestomotivatethem,keepthemengagedandintegratenew
teammembers.Employeesareexpectedtokeeponeanotherandthemanagerinformedaswell;team
members use email, logs, phone messages, instant messaging and other communication tools to
conveyupdateson deadlines, resolvecustomer issues andexchange otherworkrelatedinformation.
Clearly technology tools cansupportrealtimeaccess tocolleagues andmanagersand access tokey
businessinformation.
Crosstraining
Crosstrainingandtheabilitytobackupcolleaguesisoftenaprerequisitetoimplementingflexiblework
arrangementssuchascompressedworkweeksandflexiblestartandendtimesthatinvolvevariedshifts.Teamscollectthe informationonwhichemployeesarecrosstrainedandcanfunctionasbackupsand
usethatinformation todetermineworkschedulesand toquicklymakeadjustmentswhenemployees
areout foranyreason.Havingmultiplestaffmembersknowledgeable on keyprocesses ensuresthe
workgroupwilldelivertheexpectedresultsregardlessofindividualworkschedules.
Technologyandtools
Constantimprovementsintechnologyenablemorewidespreaduseofflexibleworkpracticesinseveral
ways.Onlineschedulingtoolsthatbuildincoverageparametersandtimeoffguidelinesgiveemployees
morecontrolandflexibilityintheirschedulestorequestaregularschedule,tradeshifts,orschedule
vacationorothertimeoffandassistmanagerstoprojectstaffingneeds,approverequests,andtrack
andmonitorarrangements.Thisempowersemployeestotakemoreownershipofthearrangementsas
wellasproactivelyfindsolutionstoschedulingconflictsandreducestheoveralltimespentbymanagers
onworkschedules.
Callmanagementsystemsandothermanagementtoolsthatprovideinformationaboutstaffavailability,
dailyworkloadandprogressagainstgoalsenableindividualemployeesaswellastheworkgroupasa
wholetoanticipatedemand,manageworkflow,adjuststaffingandavoidlastminutecrises.
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Technology now enables effective telework with connectivity to communication and information
systemsandmonitoringofperformancecomparabletoonsitework.Virtualmeetingsusingwebinars,
videoconferencing andteleconferencing supporteffectiveteammeetings andtraining. Inaddition, e
mailandinstantmessagingkeepmanagersandemployeesaccessibletooneanother.
Evenwith thebenefitsof technology,managersarechallenged to find creativewaysto build strong
relationshipsandkeepemployeesandworkgroupsmotivatedgivenincreasedworkdemandsandvaried
workarrangements.Somemanagershavedevisedinnovativeapproachesforconductingperformance
reviews,givingrecognitionandonboardingnewteammembers.
Flexiblecareers
In industry sectors with competitive labor markets, recruiters, HR professionals and line managers
conceptualizeandmarketflexibilityasabusinesstooltorecruit,developandretainhighperforming
employeesacrossthelifecycle.Managerswhointeractwithemployeesatkeydecisionpointsinthe
employmentcycle,whoarefamiliarwiththecompanysflexibilitypoliciesandwillingtothinkcreatively,
canofferflexibleworkoptionsasastrategytohelpemployeesachievetheirlongertermcareerand
personalgoalsaswellasmeetthebusinessneeds .Initiatingconversationswithemployeesabouttheir
careerplansaspartoftheperformancemanagementprocessoratcriticaljuncturesandexploringtheopportunitiesforflexibilityhaveenabledbusinessestoretainvaluedemployeeswhomtheywouldhave
otherwiselost.
Challenges
Viewingflexibilityasabusinesstool,notanentitlement
Managersexpressconcernthatonceemployeeshaveaflexibleworkarrangementinplace,theytreatit
asanentitlementanditwillbedifficulttomakeanychanges.Managersmayassumethatifflexibilityis
implementedtheywillbeexpectedtoapproveallrequestsforaflexibleworkarrangement,wheninfact
they should modify ordeny those requests thatwill not meet businessneeds. For teleworkers thisincludesclearmessagesconcerningcreationofaprofessionalbusinessatmosphereinthehomeoffice,
availabilityforworkhoursandchildcarearrangements.Itiscriticaltosetexpectationsattheoutsetthat
flexibleworkarrangementsmustmeetbusinessneeds,willbereviewedonaperiodicbasisandmaybe
renegotiatedifbusinessrequirementschange.Managerandemployeetrainingandtheuseofarequest
processcanhelppositionflexibilityappropriatelyasabusinesstool.
Managementsupport
Theprimarybarriertobroaderimplementationofflexibleworkarrangementsisvariabilityinmanager
supportatdifferentlevelswithintheorganization.Managersheavyworkloadsandcompetingpriorities
hampertheirabilitytointroducenewworkpracticesthatwouldrequireanyadditionaleffort.Further,
concerns about monitoring performance, achievement of productivity goals or service levels byemployees working on different schedules and at different locations, and confidence in established
operating practices inhibit theirwillingness to consider newwaysofworking. Those unfamiliar with
managing flexible work options may not have the information or tools to manage arrangements
effectively.Inconsistenciesinmanagementssupportforflexibleworkpracticesacrossdepartmentsand
wheretherehasbeenturnoverinmanagementwithinthesameunitcauseemployeedissatisfactionand
turnover.Creatingaccountabilityforpromotingflexibleworkpractices,providingmanagertrainingand
coaching,andpublicizingtheresultsofsuccessfulpilotscanaddresstheseconcerns.
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Maintainingcoverage
Oneofthemainbarrierstoofferingflexibleschedulingisnotbuildingenoughresourcesintothestaffing
model to achieve the level of coverage necessary to meet the business demands. Perennial
understaffing can be a barrier to implementing flexibility. The desire to implement flexibility is an
opportunitytoexaminehowtheworkiscurrentlybeingdone:Isthereanopportunitytoredesignor
eliminatelowvalueworkandincreaseflexibility?
Often, unscheduled absences and other timeoff issues are masking the fact that the number of
available staff is considerably less than the number of paid personnel resources. When managers
understand the hidden costs they are already incurring from unscheduled absences due to lack of
flexibility options and address the issues by building in sufficient staffing resources, proactively
managingschedulingandenablingsomeschedule flexibility, they findthey canmaintainorenhance
productivity. They can alsomaintainor reduce overall laborcosts fromhaving the majorityofwork
resourcesavailableattheirregularwages,therebyavoidingovertimecosts.
Providingconsistencyandcontinuity
Businesses must ensure that consistent quality and customer service are maintained regardless of
employeesworkschedules. Itis critical thatemployeesormanagerswithrequisitequalificationsandknowledgeareavailableandthatcommunication toolsand technologyareutilizedsothatemployees
andcustomershavereadyaccesstoinformationduringallhoursofoperation.Involvingtheworkgroup
in designing the flexible work schedules, cross training employees on all key work processes, and
implementingtechnologyandcommunicationtoolsforessentialinformationcanhelpensureconsistent
servicequality.Furthermore,theuseofflexibleschedulescanhelpretainhighperformingemployees
whose knowledge and expertise have direct and longterm impact on productivity and customer
satisfaction.
Addressingpoorperformance
Somemanagers,particularlythosewhohavenotmanagedindividualsonflexiblearrangements,worry
abouthowperformanceismanagedwhenemployeesareworkingdifferentschedulesorindifferentlocations.Flexibilitydoesnotincreaseperformanceproblems,butitdoesshinealightontheissuewhen
poorperformersarenotbeingcoachedormanagedeffectively.Whenindividualsarenotperformingup
toexpectations andare abusing flexibilityarrangements, themoraleof theentireworkgroup canbe
affected.Poorperformanceshouldbeaddressedwiththeindividualemployeeratherthanjeopardizing
theavailabilityofflexibilityforanentireworkgroup.Performanceshouldbemanagedaccordingtothe
deliveryofresultsusingproductivityreportsandothermanagementtoolsregardlessofworkschedules.
Arequest forflexibilityis anopportunitytoestablishgoalsanddiscussperformanceexpectations ina
resultsbasedframework.
Schedulingmeetingsandtrainingswhenallcanattend
Managers have the challenge ofplanning staffmeetings and conducting trainings at timeswhen all
employeesintheworkgroupcanattend.Managersmayhavetopayovertimeifemployeesareaskedto
comeinontheirdaysofforattendmeetingsafterregularbusinesshours.Whilemanagerstrytolimit
thesesituations,itishelpfultosetexpectationsattheoutsetthattherewillbetimeswhenemployees
areaskedtoaltertheirworkschedulesortocomeintothecentralofficeforsuchevents.Workgroups
that have implemented teleworkextensivelyarealsotaking advantage of newmeetingand training
technologies that enable employees to participate including teleconference,videoconference,virtual
meetingsoftwareandcomputeraidedinstruction.
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Trackingflexibleschedulesandtimeoff
Someflexibleschedulesandtimeoffstrategies,suchascompressedworkweeks,parttimeschedules,
and incremental use ofvacation and sick time,require that timeworked and timeoff betracked in
hours;however,companytimetrackingsystemsoftenusedays.Thismayresultinadditionalpaperwork
oruseofasecondtrackingsystembymanagerandemployeetodocumentwhathourstheemployee
has worked and what time off he/she is entitled to. Some companies have implemented human
resources information systems that capture work time in hourly units, while in other companies,
managershavecreatedExcelspreadsheetsandotherdatabasetoolstotrackworkhours,vacationand
sicktime.
ImplicationsandConclusions
Inthisstudy,wehaveexaminedflexibilityfrommanydifferentperspectivesandinsodoing,wecan
makesomeconclusionsaboutsuccessfulimplementationofflexibility.Wefindthatitisnotonlyformal
flexible arrangementsthatproducethese impressive resultsbut progressivepersonnelpoliciesand a
workculturesupportiveofoccasionalflexibilitythatgiveworkersaccesstoavarietyoftimeoffoptions
andcontrolovertheirworkschedules.Whencompaniesprovideemployeeswithanarrayofflexibility
and timeoff options and an environment in which it is possible to access flexibility opportunities
without barriers, employees develop their own strategies to use the options that best meet their
individual needs andsatisfybusiness requirements. Theuniquecharacteristicsofemployees,both at
workandpersonally, suggest that there is no onesizefitsall flexibility solution. Anapproach that
encompassesamorecomprehensiveflexibilitystrategyismorelikelytosucceed.Whilespecifictypesof
flexibility and timeoff strategies may lend themselves to better outcomes for employees and
organizationsthanothers,thereislittledoubtthatavarietyofoptionsenablesabetterflexibilityfitto
suit the unique characteristics of employees.We find that the use ofmultipleoptions has aneven
greaterinfluenceonwellbeing,worklifeeffectivenessandbusinessresults.
Companiesthathavecreatedsuccessfulflexibilityoptionsfortheirlowerwageworkersreceiveahighreturn on their investmentsbecause of the many positive impacts on employees and the business:
betterrecruitmentandretentionoftalent,increasedengagement,lowerlevelsofstressandburnout,
greater productivity and effectiveness, better customer service, and finally more positive financial
results.
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CASESTUDIES
CaseStudy:BrightHorizons
Childcarecentersofferflexibleschedulestoattractandretainhighqualityteachersandoffer
extendedhoursofcaretomeettheneedsofchildrenandparents.
Background
BrightHorizons,foundedin1986andheadquarteredoutsideBoston,MA,managesmorethan600child
care centers for many of the world's leading corporations, hospitals, universities and government
agenciesacrosstheUnitedStatesandinternationally.Theircentersprovideavarietyofflexiblechild
care options for companies and working families, including worksite child care and emergency child
care.BrightHorizonshasmorethan18,000employees,thevastmajorityofwhomarehourlyworkers.
BrightHorizonsofferssalariesforearlychildhoodteachersatorabovemarketrate.BrightHorizonsoffersarangeofschedulingoptionsinordertoattract,retainandengagequalifiedchild
careproviders.Thechildcarecenterdirectorshavetoconsiderstateregulationsregardingthenumber
andqualificationsofteachersineachclassroom,theeffectofschedulechangesonthechildrenincare
andtheir parents,andtheneedsandavailabilityof theircentersemployees.BrightHorizonscenters
varysomearelocatedatcorporateworksiteswhileothersareindependent;somearesmallwhile
othershave manyclassrooms;and eachhas uniquequalities reflecting itsdirector,teachers,parents
andchildren.
BusinessDrivers
EachBrightHorizonscenterislikeasmallbusiness,withas fewas10orasmanyas50teachers.With
statemandatedstaffingrequirementsandextendedhoursofservices,onemightexpectlimiteduseof
flexibility.WhilenotallBrightHorizonscentershaveimplementedflexibleschedulingpractices,many
center directors, with the support of regional managers, have recognized that teachers at different
stages in their lives and careersneed scheduling flexibility and, as a result,have developed creative
staffingstrategies. Forall, recruitmentand retention of qualityemployees is an incentive to offering
flexibility in an effort to meet both business and employee needs. In some cases, candidates for
positions indicated limitson theiravailabilitybecauseof familyobligations, schoolor asecondjob.In
ordertohirethesecandidates,directorshadtobewillingtoconsidernontraditionalscheduling(i.e.,
something other than full time over five days each week). In other cases, teachers who had been
working a traditional schedule determined that managing their work and personal responsibilitieswouldbeeasieriftheyhadalternatives.
Inmostcases,itistheemployeewhocomestothedirectorwitharequestforaflexibleschedule.Some
directors, however, need to fill a particular schedule gap and therefore hire with a nontraditional
scheduleinmind.Becausemanyofthecentersareopenfor10or12hourseveryday,somecreativity
and flexibility are necessary to cover the hours while meeting best practice teachertochild ratios,
whichareoftenabovethestatemandatedteachertochildratios.Certaintimesofthedayrequiremore
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coverage than others, and breaks also need tobe factored in. Directors find that inmost casesthe
flexibilitytheygivetheirteachersisreciprocatedwhentheyneedcoverageforemployeeswhoareout.
When flexibility works well in an employees life, it makes for a better employee.
Teacher
Ithink[thereasonweintroducedflexibleschedules]wasacombinationofnecessity
andafeelingofsupportfortheemployees.RegionalManager
History
Eachcenterhasasomewhatdifferenthistoryintermsofintroducingflexibleworkarrangementsfor
teachers. Because of the nature of the industry and the demands of caring for children, flexible
schedules as well as some daytoday flexibility are important tools to attract and retain qualified
teachersandensurethatappropriatecoverageisavailableinalloftheclassrooms.
Insomecases,anewdirectorproposedtheideaofflexibleschedulestochangethingsup.Atother
centers,directorsand/orteachersheardaboutsuccessfulimplementationofflexibleschedulesatother
centersandwereopentotryingitthemselves.Somecentersbeganflexibleschedulingbecauseofthe
needs of one or more current or prospective teachers who needed particular times of the day off
becauseofobligationsoutsideofwork.
Onecenterthat implementedcompressedworkweeks to increase staffingconsistencyand to reduce
absenteeism began the process by mapping schedules looking at the childrens schedules and
havingtheteacherstogetherfigureoutclassroomcoverage.
Theteachersknowthatthefourdayworkweeksmaynotbenecessary,buttheywant
ittoworksotheybuyintoit. Director
ProgramDescription
Scheduling flexibility for center teachers includes parttime, compressed workweeks; working a
customizedschedule;swappingshifts;andvaryingstartandendtimes.Flexibleschedulesallowforthe
required classroom coverage over an extended day while also meeting the needs of the teachers.
Teachersalsoflextheirschedulesoverthecourseofayear,insomeinstancesworkinghourstomirror
the public school year and taking school vacations and summers off or on a parttime schedule.
Flexibility is also utilized by students, who are grateful to schedule work around their classes and
increasetheirhoursduringschoolbreaks.
Formalflexibleworkarrangementsareincorporated into theweekly schedule; this includes parttime
schedules,compressedworkweeks,nontraditionalhours,andvaryingstartandendtimes.Inaddition,
thereisasignificantamountofadhocflexibilityswappingshiftswithpeers,coveringforcolleagues
who need toleave for anappointment,or filling inforcolleagueswho are out because ofillnessor
vacation.
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Schedules vary greatly; full time is defined as at least 30 hours per week, which allows for many
scheduleoptions.Parttimeschedulesarecrucialforstaffcoverageofextendedhoursandworkwellfor
thelaborpoolthatBrightHorizonsattracts(i.e.,students,mothersofyoungchildren,etc.).Foracenter
thatisopen7a.m.6p.m.,theearlyshiftmaybe7a.m.3p.m.andthelateshift10a.m.6p.m.There
aremany variations of this. Oneexampleis a teacherwho works eighthourdays: theearly shift on
MondaysandThursdaysandalternateFridays.Anotherexampleisateacherwhoworks8a.m.6p.m.
everydayexcepthavingWednesdaysoff;acollegestudentcoversherclassroomonWednesdays.One
teacherworks8a.m.6p.m.TuesdaythroughThursday,7a.m.6p.m.onFridayandhasMondaysoff
because she has another job. Another teachers schedule is Monday 10 a.m.3 p.m. and Tuesday
throughFriday10a.m.5p.m.Someteachershavesplitshiftsinwhichtheyleavemiddayandthen
comebackto thecenter.Insomecases,collegestudentswork7 a.m.10a.m.,beforetheirclassesor
internships.
BrightHorizonscentersutilizeavarietyofcommunicationandplanningtoolsintheirscheduling.Posting
weekly and daily schedules for all to see plays an important role in the smooth implementation of
flexibleschedules.Alloftheteachershaveaccesstotheinformationtheyneedtofindcoverage,andthe
parentsareable toseewhosworking.Parentsappreciateknowing whospecifically hasbeenin their
childsclassroomandhearingfromthatpersonabouttheirchildsday.Iftheteacherisnotworkingatpickup time, she will leavea note for the otherteachers sothey can beinformed when parents ask
questions.Classroomsalsohavecommunicationnotebookstorecordimportantdailyinformationabout
specificchildren.
Inourclassroom,ifsomeonecantcoverit,wellcoverashiftonourown.Wellplan
withourownschedules.Teacher
Teachers do swap shifts a lot. Usually they will swap with different schedules, for
examplea74fora96.Theywriteanoteandputitonthemasterscheduleformeto
approve.Director
Themasterschedulegoesouteachweektheschedulesinyellowaresetschedules
sotheycant change.The rest are flexibleso I can move them around. The pink are
thosewhoflipschedulingonFridays.Ialsodoadailyschedulebecausepeoplecallout.
Director
The overall philosophy and policy of Bright Horizons supports flexibility. At the center level, some
teachersarehiredintotheirpositionswitha flexibleschedulewhileotherschangetheirschedulesas
their circumstances change. Teachers apply for a flex schedule by notifying their supervisor of their
request.Thereareotherteacherswhopreferatraditionalscheduleanddonotparticipateintheformal
flexibleworkarrangementsalthoughtheyaccesssomeadhocflexibilitywhentheyneedhourscovered
ortheycoverhoursforcolleagues.
Whenhiring,Iaskwhattheiravailabilityisto seehowitwillfitintoourschedule.If I
knowIneedsomeonetostartat3:30,workingaparttimeschedule,Imaygetahigh
schoolstudentwhowantstoworkafterschool.Director
Inthecorporatechildcarecenters,itisoftenhelpfultohavestaffworkinglongershiftsbecausethe
corporationsemployeesareworkinglongershifts.
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[Corporation]doescompressedworkweeksandflexibleworkarrangementsfortheir
employees,sothataffectswhathappensatourchildcarecenter. Director
Impacts/Benefits
Improvedrecruitmentandretention
Themostsignificantbenefitforthecentersistherecruitmentandretentionof qualifiedteachers ina
professionwithalimitedlaborpool.Manycentershaveteacherswithgreatlongevity,whichsupports
thecentersattractivenesstoparentsandalsoreducescostsassociatedwithhiringandtrainingnew
employees.The resultingcontinuityincareprovidersalsosupports theexpertisethecenteroffers,as
wellasenhancingthecenterculture,buildinglongtermrelationshipswithfamilies,collaboratingwith
colleagues and advancing ones career at Bright Horizons. Parent satisfaction at centers is high, and
teachersbelievethatthisisdueinparttothebenefitsoftheflexibilitytheteachershave.
Asaworkingparent,I wouldntbeabletoteachifthiscenterwerentas flexibleas it
is.Teacher
Withoutflexibility,Iwouldntbeabletoworkhere.Iftheyneededmetobehereuntil
6,IcouldntbecauseImasingleparentandIneedtopickupmychild. Teacher
Teachers will be more flexible with each other and work with each other and
communicatewitheachother,ifthecompanyisflexiblewithus.Itmakesuswantto
workhereandtostayhere. Teacher
Flexibilityisavaluabletoolwhenyouhavereally,reallygoodstaff.Staffingchildcare
centersisveryhard.Idontwanttolosemyteachersbecausethataffectstheclassroom
andthedynamics,soIwilldomybesttoretainthem. Director
Employeeswhoarealsoundergraduateandgraduatestudents
Flexibility allows students to work at the centers, scheduling their work hours around their class
schedules.Manyof thestudents areable toworkmore during thesummerand duringtheir breaks,
whichbenefitsthecentersbecausesomeoftheregularstafflooktotakevacationduringthesetimes.In
addition,someofthesestudentsworkatthecentersfulltimeaftertheygraduate,comingwithnotonly
theirearlychildhoodeducationdegreebutalsoexperienceatthecenterandanestablishedrelationship
withatleastsomeoftheircolleaguesandsomeofthefamilies.Essentially,thecenterishelpingtobuild
thenextgenerationofchildcareprovidersandcenterleadersbytrainingstudentswhohavealready
indicated their commitment to educating young children. Bright Horizons has several directors who
advancedtheircareersusingflexibilityinthisway.
WhenIdecidedtogobacktoschool,[thedirector]toldmetofigureoutaschedule
thatwillworkforme,andwellmakeitworkforthecenter. Teacher
IworkfulltimebutleaveatnoononTuesdaysandThursdaystogotomyclasses.
Teacher
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Compressedworkweeks
Teachersfindcompressedworkweeksbeneficialforanumberofreasons.Teachersusetheirdayoffto
attendtoappointments,doerrandsandregroup.Thefrequencyofteacherscallingoutsickorneeding
timeawayfromworkforappointmentsislessenedasaresultoftheirflexiblescheduling.Someteachers
whonowworkfourdayseachweekindicatedthatitwouldbestressfultogobacktoafivedayschedule
becausetheywouldthenhaveonlySaturdayandSundaytogetthingsdoneandmanyoftheservices
they need are not open on weekends. Teachers with compressed workweeks also save money in
commutingcosts(i.e.,parkingandgas).Mostoftheteachersdonttaketheirflexibilityforgrantedand
willdowhattheycanforthecenterinreturnfortheflexibilitytheyhave.
Atonecenterinwhichallteachersusecompressedworkweeks,thereismorecontinuityonadailybasis
thechildrenarewiththesameteachersformostorallofeachday.Thecenterssizeandhoursof
operationmakeitpossibleforalloftheteacherstoworkcompressedworkweeks.
Theygavemetheflexibility,soIthinkitsmyresponsibilitytoworkmyneedsaround
thatschedule.Teacher
I like my schedule because I have children at home I can schedule all theirappointmentsonWednesdays.Teacher
Theteachers[usingcompressedworkweeks]arelessstressed.Theycanworkhereand
stillgotoschoolorgetasecondjoborbeavailabletogetsomeovertime. Director
Itsstillexhaustingworkingfourdays,buttheteacherstendtobemorerefreshedthan
whentheyreworkingfivedays.Director
Itsnicetohaveadayoffinthemiddleoftheweekithelpsyoubreakuptheweek.
Teacher
SuccessFactors
Empoweringemployees
Directors find that empowering employees to figure out how to flex their own schedules while
maintainingnecessarycoverageofclassroomsbenefitseveryone.Teachersaremorelikelytoagreeto
coverfortheircolleagues,knowingthattheircolleagueshaveand/orwillcoverfortheminexchange.
Manytimes,shiftsareswappedbetweenteachers,andthedirectorisinformedafterthearrangements
havebeenfiguredoutmakingthedirectorsjobeasierbutstillgivinghertheopportunitytoapprove
or deny the requested switch. If someone needs coverage for certain hours, theres almost always
anotherteacher whowants theextrahours.Depending onratio requirements andovertime costs,arequestmayormaynotbeapproved.Oftenitsasimpleswitchwithacoworkerwhohasthesame
qualificationsorclassroomexperience,sothatateachercangotoanappointmentoraschoolmeeting
occurringatatimesheisscheduledtowork.
Iftheyneedmetoswitch,Imflexiblebecausetheyreflexiblewithme. Teacher
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IfIneedtochangemyschedule,Iaskmycoteachersandweworkitout.IfIask[the
director],shelltellmetoaskmycoworkers. Teacher
Manyofusarecertifiedforvariousagegroupssowecancoverforanotherteacher.
Teacher
Idonthavealldaytomicromanagetheteachersschedules.My ruleis: Figureitout
andaslongasIknowaboutitanditjiveswiththecenter,itsfine. Director
Thinkingcreativelywithsupportfromregionalmanagers
Thinkingcreativelyandoutoftheboxiscriticaltosuccessfulschedulingflexibility.DirectorsofBright
Horizons centers have the support of their regional managers regarding scheduling,and flexibility is
consistent with the corporations values and efforts to show their appreciation for all employees.
Requests fordifferentschedulesshould beconsidered, although thedirectordoeshavetheoptionof
sayingnoifarequestisnotgoodforthecenter.Clearlytheteachertochildratiosmandatedbythe
state drive the scheduling needs. The centers being open longer than eight hours each day also
necessitatesacreativeandinnovativeapproachtoscheduling.Onecenterkeepsalistofsubstheycan
call iftheyre having trouble covering a shift usually past employees who have left togo back toschool.OthernearbycentersintheBrightHorizonssystemarealsoasourceofbackupstaff.
Ifthedirectorconsidersthestaffsrequestsandthecoveragethatsneeded,theycan
figureouthowtobeflexible,aslongastheyrecreativeandopenminded. Teacher
Itwouldbeeasiertosetaschedule.Imgivingupalotofmytimeeachdaytomake
thiswork,butIknowitsworthit.Flexiblescheduleshelpyouwhenpeoplecallout.
Director
Youhavetoseethebiggerpicturetomakeitwork. Director
Itslikefittingapuzzletogether,pluggingintheteachersasneeded. Director
Itsa numbersgame,tomaintaintheratiorequiredby regulations.We cancallother
BrightHorizonscentersintheareaifweneedto[togetsubstitutes]. Director
Imconstantlyhearingfrommyregionalmanagerthatweneedhappyemployeesto
have happy kids. We need to appreciate our employees pretty typical of the
company.Director
Providingconsistencyforchildren
Youngchildrenneedconsistencyofcaregivers,andparentsprefertoseefamiliarfaceseachdaywhen
theydropoffandpickuptheirchildrenatthecenter.Somedirectorsperiodicallysendletterstothe
parentswithalloftheteachersnamesandschedulessotheyknowwhosscheduledtobeatthecenter
atanygiventime.Ifcoverageisneeded,thedirectortriestoarrangeforsomeonewhohasworkedin
thatclassroombeforesomeonethekidsandtheparentsarefamiliarwith.
Wehaveoursetschedule,sothefamiliesandthekidsknowtheroutinetheyknow,
unlesstheresanote,theyregoingtoseemeeachmorning. Teacher
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Havingaconsistentteacherisemotionallybetterforcertainages,especiallyfordrop
offsinthemornings.Teacher
Centersshouldntbesoflexiblethatthechildrendonthaveaconsistentcaregiver.
Teacher
Theteacherswhoworklongerdaysareprovidingahugebenefittomeandthe
families,becausetheyarehereatdropoffandpickup. Director
Communicating
Communication isessential among teachers andalsobetweenthecenter andtheparents. Weekly
anddailyschedulesarepostedateachcenterforalltosee,andifateachersscheduleischangingora
teacherisoutfortheday,thatinformationispostedaswell.Teachersnotesandalogarealsokeptin
eachclassroomsoateacherreturningtothecenterafteradayoffcanreadaboutwhathappenedinher
absence.Theteachersareveryproactiveandgoaboveandbeyondwhatisrequiredofthem;inmany
situationsinwhichateacherisoutonedayaweek,shellcheckinbyphonewithacolleaguethenight
beforeshereturnssothatsheisuptospeedwithwhathappenedbeforeshewalksbackintothecenter.
Theteacherscommitmenttothekidsandtoeachotherisindicativeofthecaringprofessiontheyarein.
I have Mondays off and [my coteacher and I]talkevery Monday night I get the
rundown of what happened on Monday so I know what to expect on Tuesday.
Teacher
Ineedtomakesurethateverythinggetscommunicated.Sincetheteachersareouton
differentdays,Iuseemailalot. Director
Usingfloatersaspartofastaffingmodel
Havingextrapeopleonthescheduleallowsformoreflexibilityinscheduling.Manycentershavefloatersonstaffparttimeorfulltimestaffmemberswhocangointoanyroomatanytimeasbackupstaffto
coverbreaksandplanningtimeandfillinasneeded.Thesefloatersarethenfamiliarwithwhathappens
inalloftheclassrooms,andthechildrenrecognizethemsothefloaterscaneasilycoverforteachers
whoareout.Floatersarethereforecrosstrainedandcanbeanintegralpartofastaffingplantomeet
thedemandsofprovidingcareoveranextendeddaywithstrictteachertochildratios.
Cross training gives us lots of flexibility. Parents will know the teacher already, so
theyrenotalarmediftheusualteacherisnotthere. Director
Teambasedflexibleschedulesolutions
Forflexibleschedulingto succeed, its important tohavea groupof teacherswhoworkwelltogether
andrespectoneanother.Consensusandsupport fromtheteamtotrydifferentwaysof schedulingis
important.Theteachersoftencredittheirdirectorforcreatingschedulesthatworkfortheindividuals
andthecenterandforsupportingtheteachersintheireffortstodesignaschedulethattheyrehappy
with. Teachers areempowered tocome upwithsolutionsto scheduling issues andthen presentthe
solution to the center directors for approval, rather than presenting the issue to the director and
expectinghertocomeupwithasolution.
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Weneedtoworkwellintherooms,trusteachotherandcommunicateinordertotake
careofthechildren.Teacher
We have weekly team meetings and monthly team meetings where we can work
[schedulingissues]out. Teacher
Weorganizethescheduleasagroupsotheteacherscanheareachothersreasoning.
Director
Wegobysenioritywhendecidingwhogetswhichdayoff.Whentheresanewhire,
currentstaffhavetheoptiontoswitchtheirdayoff. Director
Challenges/Barriers
Recognizingflexibilityisnotalwaysfeasible
Although BrightHorizonsencouragestheuseof flexible scheduling,there aretimeswhen,duetothe
sizeofthestaffatacenterortheschedulesofotherteachers,arequestforflexibilityhastobedenied.
Thiscanbechallengingbecausestaffseeothersworkingindividualizedschedulesandmayresentthat
their requestcould notbe approved. Centersthat areunabletohire extra staff becauseof financial
constraintsmay be less able to offer flexible schedules andmay be more challenged when teachers
requestalternativeschedulesorneedtimeoff.Inmostcases,directorstrytoavoidpayingovertimedue
tothenegativeimpacttotheoverallfinancialwellbeingofthecenter,sotheymustwatchtheteachers
schedulestobesuretheyarenotworkingtoomanyhours.Ifarequestforaflexibleworkarrangement
isdenied,thedirectorisexpectedtogiveabusinessreasonforthedenial.
Its about fairness, notnecessarily always what youwant todo.Just becauseyoure
flexibledoesntmeanthatyourealwaysgoingtogetwhatyouwant. Teacher
Idliketodothefourdayworkweek,buttheonlywaythatwouldhappenisifwehave
anotherassistantintheclassroom.Iusedtodoacompressedworkweek,andIlovedit.
Teacher
Swappingshiftsisnotanoptioniftheteacherwillthenbeworkinglessthan
30hours.Thenitsnotachoicetheyhavetotakevacationtime. Director
Because Im following a consistent kind of approach [to approving or denying
requests],Ifeelsafer.RegionalManager
AddressingperformanceissuesTeachersanddirectorsagreethatperformanceissuesareindependentofflexibleschedulesbutmustbe
addressedwhentheyoccur.Incasesinwhichanemployeesperformanceisslippingandsheisusinga
flexibleworkarrangement,thedirectorneedstomeetwiththeemployeetodiscussthesituationand
adjusttheteachersscheduleto onethatwillbettersupportherperformancewhile alsomeetingher
schedulingneedsandtheneedsofthecenter.Compressedworkweeksaregoodfitsforsometeachers
but not for all teachers; some find that working four 10hour days is too exhausting and leads to
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burnout.Itsnotaonesizefitsallsituationasnoteveryonecanworkthesameschedulesteachers
anddirectorspartnertofigureoutaschedulethatworksforboththeteacherandthecenter.
Berealisticaboutwhathoursyoucanwork.WhenIwasdoing7:303:30,itdidntwork
out,butIkepttryingtomakeitwork.Youhavetobeabletoassesswhatyoucando.
Teacher
Ateachermayreallyenjoythecompressedworkweek,butiftheyrenotabletogetto
workontimeoriftheyrenotabletodemonstrateafulllevelofenergy,theirschedule
willhavetobechangedback.RegionalManager
Allstaffmeetings
Directorsalsohavethechallengeofplanningstaffmeetingssincetheremaynotbeatimewhenallof
theteachersareworking.Teacherssometimeshavetocomeinontheirdayoff,butdirectorstrytolimit
theseoccurrences.
Maintainingstaffingconsistencyandcontinuity
As a consequence of flexible schedules, parents may find that different teachers are in their childsclassroomondifferentdays.Someparentscomplainaboutthis,althoughtherealityof10to12hour
extendedcentercare impliesthatthesamestaffarenotabletobothopenandclosethecentereach
day. Centers try to minimize the variation, but the longer workdays and the teachers scheduling
flexibilitydoesmeanthatparentswillseedifferentteachersondifferentdaysoftheweek.Directors
havefounditishelpfultoassuretheparentsthattheotherteachersarejustasqualifiedastheteacher
theyareaccustomedtoseeing.Sharingthescheduleandinformationabouttheteachersqualifications,
aswellasmanagingtheparentsexpectations,ishelpful,asispreparingthechildrenattheendofone
day with mention ofwho they will beseeing the next morning when they come back in. A positive
consequenceofschedulingflexibilityisimprovedteacherretention,whichinturnprovidesmorelong
termcontinuityforthechildren.
Parentswantconsistency.Theydontwanttoseedifferentpeopleeveryday.Kidsand
parentsfeelcomfortablewithpeopletheyknow;theydontwanttoseeastranger.
Teacher
We try to tell parents about any changes in schedules or upcoming vacations in
advance,orassoonaswecan.Teacher
Youhavetolookatcontinuityforthekids.Werenotgoingtothrowinanewteacher
thatthekidsdontknow.Director
Implications/ConsiderationsforOtherEmployers
Thedirectorsandtheteachersagreeontheimportanceofallinvolvedbeingwillingtothinkcreatively
andtryschedulingthatisdifferentfromwhattheyareaccustomedto.Directorsmustbeabletolisten
to the needs of the teachers, and the teachers must be willing to give back, not merely ask for
schedulingflexibility.Postingeveryonesschedulesishelpfulsothatteacherscanlookatwhomightbe
availabletoswitchwithorprovidecoverage.
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Forchild care providers, it is important to consider theconsequences of changing schedules for the
childrenandtheparents,whomaybeapprehensivewithlessconsistencyintheteacherstheyseeevery
day.
The experience of the Bright Horizons centers is that not everyone wants a flexible schedule or
compressedworkweek.Whilesomedirectorsmayfearthattheywillbeinundatedwithrequests,thisis
usuallynotthecase.
Itseasiertoimplementthanyouthink.RegionalManager
Flexibility is beneficial to all constituencies: Teachers appreciate the ability to better manage their
commitments outside of work, directors are better able to attract and retain qualified employees,
childrenandparentsbenefitfromhavingteacherswhoarelessstressedandmorelikelytostay,and
Bright Horizons in turn benefits from the success of the center. Whilesome may be hesitant to try
flexible scheduling at a child care center, the overall experience of teachers and directors at Bright
Horizons has been positive as they have seen the benefits of successful implementation. With the
support of the regional manager, the center director and the staff, flexible scheduling is a winwin
situation.
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CaseStudy:ConsumerGoodsManufacturer
Aconsumergoodsproductionplantoffersarangeofschedulingoptionsdevelopedandmanagedat
theteamleveltomeetproductivitygoalsandmanagecostswhilealsogivingemployeesmorecontrol
overtheirworkschedules.
Background
Alargeplantofa U.S.basedconsumergoodsmarketingandmanufacturingcompanyisknownwithin
thecompanyforcreativityandcontinuousimprovement.Innovativeprogramsinitiatedattheplantare
oftendisseminatedtootherlocations.Thefacilityoffersarangeof schedulingoptionsdevelopedand
managedattheteamlevelthatareutilizedtomotivateemployees,meetplantproductivitygoalsand
controlcosts.
BusinessDrivers
Thebusinessdriversforflexibilityhavecomefromthecompanyscorporatevaluesaswellasbusiness
needstoboostproductivityandcontrolcosts.Thecompanyvaluesworklifebalanceforemployeesand
acknowledges that production schedules, which includeweekendwork and12hour shifts,do create
worklife challenges for employees. The company looks for ways to help employees manage their
personalandfamilyneedsandboostmorale.Flexibleworkpracticesareconsistentwithcompanyvalues
andverymuchpartoftheiroverallemployeevalueproposition.
Several years ago, the need to go to continuous operation prompted the design of new schedules.
Consistent with the plants continuous improvement philosophy, teams were given the task of
developing the work schedules. Each team built in certain types of time off as a feature of the
continuousoperation;thesehavebeeninpracticeeversince.
Control of labor costs is another driver of flexible scheduling. The need to limit overtime expenses
motivatedthedevelopmentofa poolofcrosstrainedemployeeswho fillinforstaffon vacation.The
cost of carryingan additional team member who is cross trained can be offset by the savings from
avoidingovertimecoststocoverothersvacations.
History
The plant has developed many flexible work practices. Consistent with its continuous improvement
philosophy, plant management encourages employee involvement in developing high performance
work practices and problem solving. Many of the flexibility options currently available have been
employeeinitiated.Insomecases,anindividualemployeehasaneedorasuggestionforaflexiblework
solutionandbringsaproposedideaforflexibilitytothemanagerortheemployeecommitteethatis
responsibleforguidelines.Theideaisoftenpilotedand,ifsuccessful,rolledoutmorebroadlyinthe
plant.Otherflexibilitypolicies,suchasoccasionalflextime,wereincorporatedintotheworkprocesses
fornewproductsbyhighperformanceworkteams.Oncepiloted,thesepolicieshavebeenrolledoutto
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otherteamsthroughouttheentiredepartment.Otherflexibilitypractices,suchascrosstrainingofrelief
poolworkers,weredevelopedbyateamleaderasanapproachtocontrolovertimecosts.
Someonefromtheoutsidehadthatasanoptionpreviouslyattheirwork.Wethrew
thatideaouttheretothemanagementteam,andtheysaidwecouldtryitandifitsa
challenge,itwouldberevisited.Itworkedoutwellenoughtokeepitandspreaditto
everyone.Manager
ProgramDescription
Occasionalflextime
Employeesarrange,withtheapprovalof theirworkteams,to workuptotwohoursattheendof the
previousshiftoratthebeginningofthefollowingshift.Membersofonesownshiftcovertheirworkon
thatday.Employeesmustgive24hoursnotice.Thistypeofflexibilityisusedfrequentlytoenableshift
workers to participate in their childrens extracurricular and sports activities or to attend a regular
weeklyappointmentorclass.Althoughtheflextimepolicyisnotapermanentchangeofschedule,there
isnolimitonhowmanytimesperyearanemployeecanuseflextime.
Shifttrades
Theshift trade (also known as shift swap) policy enablesemployees within thesame department to
tradeonetofourdaysperweekortotradeuptosixweeksonceinacalendaryear.Itgivesindividualsa
mechanismtochangetheirworkscheduletotakecareofpersonalorfamilyneeds.Employeesmustfind
tradepartnerswhohavesimilarqualificationsandclassifications;also,thetradingpartnerassumesthe
payandsenioritystatusoftheotherpartnerforthattimeperiod.Overtime,employeesfindshifttrade
partnersforwhomitismutuallybeneficial.Shiftswappingismorecommonamongsecondandthird
shiftworkers.
ReliefpoolA pool ofemployees cross trainedon all jobs within a team isbuiltintothestaffing modelto cover
vacationandothertimeoffevents.Whilethereliefpooladdsstaffingresources,itactuallysavesonthe
overtimecoststhatwouldhavebeenpaidtocoverstaffingshortagescreatedbyvacationdays.(Thefirst
yearthereturnwas130135percent).Giventhecomplexityofworkprocessesandtheestimatesof
timeoffcoverageneeds,onereliefpersonperteampershiftisplannedintothebudget.Thejobsare
challenging because the relief pool workers do different jobs on a regular basis, sometimes moving
among three different roles in a single day to cover multiple twohour flextime situations. They
frequently get retrained to keep their skills and knowledge up to date as the technology and work
processeschange.
VacationinhalfdayincrementsThehalfdayvacationisaplantwideinitiativeintroducedinthe1990sandisusedfrequentlyforfamily
events,medicalappointmentsandotherpersonalneeds.Employeescanuseuptoeighthalfdaysper
yearandmustgive24hoursnotice.Thedifferentshiftstendtousethefronthalforlaterhalfdepending
ontheshift.Forexample,ifsecondshiftemployeeshavetotraveltoattendachildsawaysportsgame,
theycanuseahalfvacationdayandthenbebackatworkforthesecondhalfoftheirshift.
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Unpaidtimeoff
Inseveralofthecontinuousrundepartments,theteamshavedevelopedstaffingmodelsthatbuildinup
to two extra people per shift. Depending on the workload, vacations, sick time, etc., there is the
opportunityfortwopeopletotakeadayoffwithoutpay.Teamshavedifferentsystemsfordeciding
howandwhenteammembersgettochoosewhethertheywanttoworkextrahoursthatweekorwould
prefertohavethetimeoff;someteamssimplyrotatetheteammembernamesandwhenyourname
reachesthetopofthelist,itisyourchoice.Otherteamstakeintoaccounthowmanyhoursanindividual
hasalreadyworkedsothatpeoplewithfewerhoursgetachancetoearnovertime.Weekendhoursare
rotatedsothatnoone,regardlessofseniority,willbeforcedtoworkeveryweekend.Employeessignup
at theend of their shift to requestthe timeoff slot for thefollowing day.It is possiblethat staffing
needswillbelightthefollowingdayandmorethantwoslotswillbeavailable.
Employeedesignedschedulesforcontinuousoperations
Severalyearsago,whentheproductdivisionwenttoacontinuousoperation24hoursx7daysall
year management approached the two teams involved in the operation and challenged them to
developtheworkschedules.Thetwoteamscameupwithquitedifferentsolutionsthathavebeenin
place for several years. In both cases, they moved awayfromsenioritybased scheduling. Oneteam
developedanannualschedulethatindicatesalltheemployeesworkdaysanddaysofffarin advance.Employeesthensubmittheirvacationrequests,whichgetaddedtothemasterschedule.Employeesstill
havetheopportunitytoswapshiftsoruseflextimeasneededforflexibilitytocovereventsthatcome
uponshortnotice.
Theother production team adopted a justintimetimeoff system. Theteam incorporatesenough
resources into the staffing plan sothat everyday, two team members can get the day off. All team
membersnamesarelistedontheschedule,andasanemployeesnamereachesthetopofthelist,
he/she has the choice of either taking the day off without pay or working the extra day. Some
employeespreferthetimeoffwhileothersprefertheextrapay;thebenefitofthesystemisgivingthe
employeeschoiceandcontrolovertimeoff.
Impacts/Benefits
Employeesatisfactionandmorale
Themostsignificantbenefitofprovidingflexibilityishighermoraleandsatisfaction.Inanenvironment
in which employees are asked to work weekends, long shifts and frequent overtime, providing
schedulingtoolsthatgivethemsomecontrolovertheirhoursboostsmoralewithoutaddingcost.
We are the happiestgroup. And yearly we have attitude surveys, and we have the
lowestrateofabsenteeism.Everybodyin[ourdepartment]wouldsaywereatop
100company.Employee
Ithinkitsgreat,frommy personalexperience.Iveseensomanywinwinsituations,
wherepeoplearegenuinelyappreciative,knowingtheyhavetheabilitytouseit.They
tendtogiveyou110percent.Theyreveryappreciativethatyoureworkingwiththem
andhelpingwiththeirfamily. Manager
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Itrulythinkmoraleisthebiggestthing.Wedontcareifitsawagepersonorsalaried
person, we expect the job to be done. If you need to adjust your hours to fit your
schedule,youstillneedtofinishyourwork.Manager
Wheretheyruncontinuously,weexpectalotofouremployeesalotofthetime.Sowe
trytogivethemflexibilityandhelptomanagetheirlife.Itsalmostanobligation,given
ourexpectationofthem.Manager
Greaterabilitytomanagepersonal/familyresponsibilities,especiallyforsecondandthirdshifts
Policiesthatgiveemployeescontrolovertheirschedulesandtimeoffonshortnoticeenableemployees
to participate in important events outside of work as well as manage everyday personal and family
situationsthatarisewithoutincurringperformancepenalties.
Whenyouhavekidsactivitiesespeciallyifyoureonsecondshift,youtendtomiss
everythingafter5:00.Youmayhaveachildwithasportsactivityandneedtodo itfor
fourtofiveweeks.Employee
Sometimeswhenyouhavebothspousesworkinghere,iftheyhavedaycareissues,helltradewithsomeonewithanoffdayshiftsothathiswifewhosworkingdayshift
canswitchdaycareresponsibilities.Employee
Partofitiswecantrytoavoidanusvs.them[mentality];wetrytobeallonthesame
page.All thesepracticesaresomethingthatsalariedemployeesareexpectedtohave,
andifwecanofferthesamethingforoperators,thatsagoodthing .Manager
Itreducestheamountofcorrectiveaction,communicationIhavetohavewithpeople
inmydepartment,becausetheyrenotgettingintoabsenteeismproblems.Itsgoodfor
employeesbecauseitallowsthemtoadjusttochangesintheirlives. Manager
Lettingthewagepoolhavemorecontrolofhowtheydotheirworkandhaveworklife
balance. When you feel youre in control of your hours, you dont have to take a
vacationtogotoadentistordoctorsappointment. Manager
Reducedabsenteeismandovertimecosts
Theabilitytotradeshiftsandadjustworkschedulesonoccasionreducestheinstanc
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