Flexible schedules in the workplace

Rebecca Bilderback, P.E.

Civil Engineer III, Public Works Department City of Olathe, Kansas Member, APWA Diversity Committee

his year’s diversity theme is “inclusiveness.” Inclusiveness includes the more traditional diversity categories such as different nationalities and races. However, with four generations now in the workforce, soon to be five, inclusiveness must now encompass all ages of people.

It is important to have all generations engaged in your workplace. Younger workers must be attracted to replace retiring employees. Employees in their 30s, 40s and 50s are needed to ensure that knowledge transfer and succession planning can take place to keep things running smoothly. Older, more experienced workers are needed to provide their vast expertise.

There are many ways to improve your workplace’s ability to attract and retain workers of all generations in the workplace such as diversity training, education on working with multiple generations, and non-discriminatory hiring practices. One often-overlooked way for organizations to recruit and retain people of all ages is to provide options for flexible work schedules.

Options to provide flexibility to all generations in the workplace include the following:

Flex-time: Flex-time can include starting work earlier or later than 8:00 a.m., or working a schedule something other than eight hours per day, such as four ten-hour days per week. An early or late start could be a popular option in communities where your employees would like to avoid the peak rush-hour commute times. Non-traditional start and end times can help employees balance their work and home lives by providing the option to meet family commitments or other pursuits, as for example taking night classes that benefit the employee and employer.

The four ten-hour days per week schedule is common in construction but can be an efficient option for public works field crews. It takes the same amount of time each day to mobilize out to the field and then back to the shop. When crews work 10-hour days versus 8-hour days, more time is spent on field work each day.

Sabbaticals: A sabbatical is an extended period taken off work without pay for reasons other than FMLA situations. Sabbaticals can be for a couple of weeks or up to several months. This was a flexibility option discussed in the “Public Works Transcending Across Generations” panel at Congress this past September. In that particular session, it was introduced as a way to attract and retain younger employees who may want to spend some time traveling or pursuing personal interests for a few weeks before they have built up vacation time at work.

More experienced employees may be interested in sabbaticals as well. A Greatest Generation employee may want to take three months off one year to travel somewhere warm or take an extended cruise. A Baby Boomer employee may want to take time off to take family vacations with their college-age children in the summer or take a sailing trip. Many employees believe they can only get extended time away from work when moving between jobs. Providing an option for employees to get a break while staying at their current workplace can reduce turnover.

Part-Time Schedule: Part-time is a weekly schedule less than 40 hours per week. Offering a parttime schedule is a good way to get a Generation Y employee involved in your workplace as they are finishing college. It can be a way to keep Generation X and Baby Boomers in the workplace as they are trying to balance work with family commitments such as caring for an elderly parent. A part-time schedule is one way to keep experienced employees in your workplace in a semi-retirement or even bring people back from retirement to assist with knowledge transfer and mentorship of younger employees.

Work from Home: In a work from home scenario, employees produce some or all of their work from home rather than in the office. This flexibility option is sometimes referred to as telecommuting. In today’s 24/7 world where many employees are already connected to the office after hours through cell phones or laptops, a work from home schedule is often a feasible option. This option can keep employees productive on the occasional day when they may need to stay home

to wait for a plumber or tend to a sick child.

This schedule can work on a regular basis for those who typically spend their day in the office rather than the field. With the use of video conferencing and programs such as Microsoft Office Live Meeting, employees can even participate in office meetings from home. This choice is the sustainable or green work option since it eliminates the need for the employee to commute to work on a daily basis.

Extended Lunches/Breaks: This schedule allows employees to take early, late, or long lunches/breaks while still working full-time hours each week. Many employees prefer to exercise during the day rather than before or after work. An extended lunch or 30-minute break in the afternoon can provide employees an opportunity to improve their health, particularly if your workplace has a gym onsite or is located in a walk-friendly area, such as near a park. Whether employees choose to take advantage of extended lunches for exercise or just a mental break from work during the day, these breaks provide an opportunity to recharge and can lead to increased productivity, a boost for employers.

Job Sharing: Job sharing is a situation where two or more employees each work part-time to contribute towards one fulltime position. This option can be appealing for employees who seek part-time work but it has extra benefits for the employer as well. With two employees covering one position, one employee can provide continuous coverage of the job while the other is out on vacation or during other work absences. In the event that one employee leaves, the employer has automatic parttime coverage of the position and an employee ready to train the next person hired for the job sharing workload.

Whether your workplace provides some or all of the options listed, flexible work schedules can benefit your employees and your

organization by keeping workers engaged throughout the different stages of their lives and careers.

Rebecca Bilderback can be reached at (913) 971-9116 or rbilderback@ olatheks.org.