Tweet

Negotiate a Flexible Work Schedule

Written by: Cecile Peterkin

Article Overview: Are you feeling conflicted about the demands of work and family? More companies are beginning to see the benefits of offering their employees flexible work arrangements, such as part-time work, job sharing, compressed work weeks, telecommuting, and flexible schedules.

Negotiate a Flexible Work Schedule

Trying to keep a work-life balance is one of the major issues my clients struggle with at this time of the year. Very few people want to work 24/7, yet technology has created tremendous pressure on working adults.

Seize this moment to discuss and negotiate a flexible work schedule with your boss in order to give you the time you need to manage and continue to enjoy your personal life and achieve that goal of work life balance.

More companies are beginning to see the benefits of offering their employees flexible work arrangements, such as part-time work, job sharing, compressed work weeks, telecommuting, and flexible schedules.

Towers Perrin's survey of 80 large Canadian companies show flexible work arrangements reduce work/life conflict, increase productivity, and improve retention and morale.

HRFocus reported in February 2007 that 91% of McGraw-Hill employees who have flexible work arrangements say that those arrangements have a positive impact on their productivity. Cisco's tele-work program resulted in $195 million in increased productivity, according to research conducted by Boston College's Sloan Work and Family Research Network. According to Corporate Voices for Working Families, Deloitte estimates it has saved $41.5 million in turnover costs since implementing flexible work options.

Negotiating a Flexible Work Schedule

In order to successfully negotiate a flexible work schedule, build a business case then create a proposal that spells out exactly how the arrangement will work. It's best to start this new arrangement as a 3 - 6 month trial period.

Your proposal should answer any concerns you anticipate your boss may have, and should contain the following:

The days and/or hours you will work.
How will you complete the arrangement, telecommute, compressed work week, job sharing, etc.
How will you accommodate meetings or team projects on the days or hours you are out of the office?
How will you be compensated (salary/bonus adjustment) depending on the change to your work days or hours?
How will your productivity be measured?
What will your company gain from this arrangement? (what is the value to the company)?
Communication to colleagues
If a back-up person is needed when you are not in the office - who will it be?
Start and end date of the trial period.

If your boss says "no" to your proposal, remember that this is a negotiation. Your boss may have unanswered questions. Find out what your boss's concerns are. Be prepared to make adjustments to your proposal - shorter trial period, less time out off the office, etc.

As offices gear up after the slower summer season, now is a good time to implement some positive changes that will maintain a healthy balance between work and play. Making a case for a flexible work schedule that benefits your employer as well as yourself is a step in the right direction.

Related Articles
  Negotiating the Terms of Your Franchise Agreement
  5 Tips For Getting Things Done For Work At Home Moms
  How the Best Rated Home Based Businesses Can Help the Stay at Home Mom
  Successfully Juggling Family, Business and Yourself
  Maintaining Positive Relationships with Co-Workers While you Telecommute

Article Tags: flexible schedules, flexible work arrangements, flexible work schedule



Related Forum Posts
Re: How to Stay Motivated - Staying motivated is definitely hard. Especially when things get overwhelming and there are no immediate results. This is my personal approach. 1) Use a big white dry-erase board / piece of paper. 2) Pen down everything you need to do or in the process of doing. Point forms with dates. No need for excessive details. 3) Schedule a definitive period of time to relax (i.e. for the next hour and a half) 4) Jump back to working starting with number 1 on the white board! The best way is stay motivated to be organized, re-group then jump back in!
Re: Five Personality Traits of Successful Business Owners - 1. Focus 2. Ability to Adapt 3. Hard Work 4. Good planning 5. People Skills
Re: Books for the Entrepreneur - Another great book for internet entrepreneurs is The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris MichelleJ
Try wikipedia.com for more information - That depends what type of business you are involved in. Maybe if you share that, we can help you a little better. I work mostly in the Work at Home industry so my advice would only be along those lines.
Re: Vera Wang Profile - I too love this kind of success story Evan, I especially liked the article 'Nothing Replaces Hard Work', I can relate to a lot of things in there, take care Carol


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What Makes an Extraordinary Business Consultant?

BUILDING A HIGH PERFORMING TEAM

What Aweber Can Do For Your Online Business

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.