As the owner of a small computer repair and services business, you would like to

Question

As the owner of a small computer repair and services business, you would like to allow employees more flexibility in their work schedules. But you also need consistency of coverage to handle drop-in customers as well as at-home service calls. Also, there are many times when customers need what they consider to be “emergency” help outside of normal 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. office times. A meeting with employees is scheduled for next week. How can you work with them to develop a staffing plan? What will you present as “flexible work schedule” options that meet their needs as well as yours?

Explanation / Answer

The first option is a compressed work week, which allows an employee to complete a 40-hour work week in less than 5 days. The hospital where I work offers this option. Quite a few employees in my department work 4 days a week, putting in 10 hours per day. They enjoy this option because it gives them a 3-day weekend plus fewer commutes. A similar option offered by my hospital is flexible part-time work weeks. If an employee is a 1.0, it means he/she is full time. The hospital allows employees to be a 0.6 or higher and still receive the same benefits as a full-time (1.0) employee. My co-worker, for example, is a 0.8. She works 4 days per week, 8 hours per day.

Another option discussed is flexible working hours. This option seems to be one of the most common alternatives to a typical 8-5 work day. I am lucky enough to have flexible working hours. Having a young child and volunteering much of my free time with an animal rescue causes my schedule to be quite chaotic at times. It is great to be able to move my schedule around as needed. For example, if my daughter has a dance recital, instead of taking PTO, I can go into work an hour or two early, allowing me to leave an hour or two early. And, as long as my work is completed in a timely manner and I don’t abuse the system, my manager is happy to allow me to continue with flexible working hours.

Telecommuting is another common option for flexible working schedules. This alternative is becoming more and more popular as technology continues to advance. Many of the billing, coding, and other support staff for my hospital work from home. Quite a few of our information technology staff members provide IT support from home, as well. Because most of their work is completed on the computer and/or over the phone, there is no need for them to be located at the hospital. This can be a money-saver for businesses, as well, because they can downsize their physical buildings when they have fewer bodies that need work stations.

The last flexible work schedule option discussed is job sharing. I’m not as familiar with this option because I have never known anyone who used this option. According to our book, it allows two or more people to share the same job. The employees can work half days or work one week on and one week off. This can be a great alternative for new mothers who are ready to re-enter the work force but would prefer to work part-time initially.

As the owner of a small business, I would have a sit-down meeting with all my employees and offer them all of the alternatives listed above. We would discuss the options and determine which option fits each employee’s needs. At that point, we would work together to create a schedule that will allow for flexibility while still serving our customers. For example, if we provide any software support, the employee dedicated to this service could telecommute part-time and service customers’ computers online and/or over the phone. The employee who completes at-home service calls could also have the option to telecommute. There is no reason for this employee to be in the physical building if he/she spends the majority of the day traveling to and from customers’ homes. He/She could travel to and from home instead and take calls via a cell phone. To meet customers’ emergency needs, the on-call employee could carry a pager or cell phone and be allowed to come and go from the business as needed. If an emergency arises, he/she would be notified via cell phone or pager and would be able to respond immediately.

I truly believe that flexible working schedules encourage increased performance and support employee satisfaction. Life is a lot less stressful when you have options that allow you to complete your work while still enjoying life and spending time with your family. Every person’s life is unique which is why the typical 8-5 work-day does not work for everyone. The major downside to flexible working schedules is ensuring work is completed efficiently and employees are not taking advantage of the system. However, with today’s technology there are reasonable options available for monitoring employee efficiency.

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