Study: Workplace flexibility growing in US

Workplace flexibility programs have maintained popularity in the face of the harsh economic situation in the U.S., and in some cases are even being used by employers to avoid layoffs, according to a recent study by the Families and Work Institute (FWI).

Virtually all respondents, 94 percent, are either maintaining or increasing their workplace flexibility programs, according to the FWI. In addition, 26 percent of the employers surveyed said they had used some sort of flexible work option, such as reduced work weeks or work-from-home solutions, as a way to reduce the need to lay workers off.

"It is hardly surprising that our survey finds that 77 percent of employers are cutting and controlling labor and operational costs during the recession," said Ellen Galinsky, co-founder and president of FWI. "What is surprising is that that between 34 to 43 percent of employers are actively helping employees weather the recession."

The FWI survey looked at a random sample of 400 U.S. employers with 50 or more employees.