What are the alternative work arrangements that a company can use to better accommodate the needs of employees?

Updates to technology have made flexible work arrangements easier than ever. Read on for a few of the most common work arrangements and why employees may desire them.

As the modern workplace becomes increasingly digital in nature, employees have begun calling for work schedules that better fit their scheduling needs. The days of working Monday through Friday from 9 to 5 may not be gone, but flexible work arrangements mean that employees have greater freedom when it comes to setting a schedule.

Offering an alternative work schedule is a prime example of employee recognition and is a great way to demonstrate trust in loyal and hardworking employees. Let's take a look at some of the more popular situations and why they appeal to employees.

Telecommuting

Telecommuting, or working remotely, has become more popular and desirable as technology has evolved. Thanks to video conferencing, better Wi-Fi, and the rise of mobile devices, telecommuting is now easier than ever.

Employees looking for new work arrangements enjoy the flexibility that working remotely offers. Being able to skip the morning commute and save money on gas is also an enticing motivation.

For the majority of jobs, employees only need internet access to get set up, meaning that they can work from home, the library, a coffee shop, or even in other countries. They may need something like a virtual private network (VPN) to access an employer's systems, but only in rare cases do employees need special software.

Staggered Hours

If you can't let employees change where they work, you should consider letting them change when they work, in order to create a more sustainable work-life balance in the office. For the average American, a standard workday is from 9 AM to 5 PM, and the workweek consists of 40 hours. You can give your employees greater flexibility by letting them play with the time of their shifts.

For example, an employee may work from 11 AM to 7 PM or from 6 AM to 2 PM. This model works well for employees of all backgrounds with different types of needs. For example, employees with children may want to start work later in the morning so they can see their children off to school, while employees who define themselves as ''morning people'' can beat rush hour traffic and get an early start to the workday.

Compressed Workweek

If you're in a field that requires your employees to be at work at a certain time, staggered hours may not be an option. To work around this and create a flexible work arrangement, take a look into a compressed workweek. As mentioned above, the average workweek is 40 hours, but that doesn't mean it needs to be spread out over five days.

Instead of working five 8-hour days a week, allow your employees to work four 10-hour days. Everyone loves a 3-day weekend, so why not make every weekend an extended one? Many employees will gladly work an extra two hours each day if it means getting an extra day off at the end of the week.

If you need someone in the office at all times, simply stagger the days off and assign a different schedule to each employee. Better yet, let employees choose the day they wish to have off.

The suggestions listed above are just that - suggestions. The beauty of flexible work schedules is that they're, well, flexible; they can be modified and adapted in any number of ways.

For more information on how these schedules work and what their benefits include, check out this lesson on job flexibility from Study.com, which covers telecommuting and compressed schedules, among other options.

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by Larry Allen

Would you like to join over 30 million U.S. workers that have flexible work arrangements? Its not impossible, but you'll have to have a well thought-out plan to make it a reality.

Before you start developing your plan, it important to understand the most common alternative work arrangements. Deciding which one may work best for your situation is the first step in developing a convincing proposal to your current/prospective employer.

Benefits to Employers/Clients

At first glance, some employers may view alternative work arrangements as a concession to employees, but upon review -- the company benefits the most to gain from these arrangements. Here's how:

Minimized Turnover -- more schedule flexibility, less turnover.

Less Costly Employee Benefits -- in retirement and health care coverage's.

Better Suited for Fluctuating Business Levels -- regardless of circumstances.

Less Fixed Costs -- can reduce office space and/or related expenses.

Common Types of Flexible Work Arrangements

For our discussion, lets define a flexible work arrangement as any work schedule that isn't regular full-time employment. Here are the most common.

Flex time

The employer allows its workers to set their own hours as long as a set number of hours are met each week. Instead of working 9-5, someone may choose to work 7-3, 10-6, etc. You may need to commit to being available during the "prime work hours," 10am-3pm. This is a fair concession if your employer/client is having reservations about your availability.

Part-time

Employees are now working 15-20 hour weeks as part of a growing trend of permanent part-time arrangements. You may not have enough work to justify full-time hours, but you can offer this arrangement as an alternative to hiring temporary workers. Show the value of not having to be trained, also mention the fact that the employer already knows what they're getting!

Job Sharing

This arrangement involves two or more workers sharing one full-time position -- with each working the hours that are most convenient for him or her. If you're not a morning person, you may find the afternoon hours more convenient and vise versa.

Telecommuting

Full or part-time employees work from home. Communications to the office are done via computer and/or phone. This is great option if you need a set day or two. Some employees who travel frequently often use the beginning of the week as a telecommuting day to catch up on correspondence, reports, etc.

Flexible work arrangements can help you cope and quickly adjust to a world of change in this technologically-demanding business environment. Find out what types of flexible work arrangements your employer and/or clients permit and what guidelines, if any, there are. If there's a written policy, review it and learn how benefits, compensation and career track are affected by flexibility.

If not, you'll probably be asked to submit one in writing. For additional information on that subject please read the report titled Developing Your Proposal For A Flexible Work Arrangement.

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