Alternatives to the Nine-to-Five Grind
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Alternatives to the Nine-to-Five Grind

Here are some examples of alternative work arrangements that you can introduce to your management. These are just guidelines. Some may not be realistic or feasible, depending on your position or industry. Others may need to be modified to create a solution that works for both you and the company

1. Part-time – Cut back on your hours. In some cases, you may be able to negotiate part-time hours and still keep some or all of your health and other benefits. Your employer benefits by saving money, an especially powerful bargaining tool during times of economic downturn and downsizing. One caveat: this may not be a realistic solution for many, since it means a reduction in pay and possible loss or reduction in benefits.

2. Job sharing – Find a coworker or outside candidate with whom you can share your job and responsibilities, so that two part-timers fill one full-time position. In our program, we profile two female managers, Shelly Smith and Suzanne Thomas at Hewlett Packard, each working three days a week with two days off and one overlapping day. Gina Cassinelli, their supervisor at Hewlett Packard, says the job share system benefits the company as well as the two employees. “I get more out of that position having two heads there than I would having a single person there,” Cassinelli says. “So it’s a win for them, it’s a win for me. I think it’s a win for the company.”

3. Work from home/Telecommuting - You can negotiate a day or more every week when your work can be accomplished from home, on the computer and/or over the phone. Be conscious of days when there are regular meetings in the office that you need to attend (or see if it would be possible for you to “attend” the meeting via speakerphone). This is called “telecommuting”. You save the time you would normally spend on your commute and avoid the frustration of sitting in traffic. This worked especially well for Marguerite Fernandez, a financial specialist at Baxter International, who says that the arrangement actually motivates her to work harder. “I see the privilege of being able to be here when my daughter wakes up from nap or when my son comes home from school,” she says, “So they have me as a very interested employee, motivated employee, definitely thankful that they’re letting me do this. And you know what. I really like the work. So I think it’s a win-win for both sides.”

4. Compressed Workweek - Some employers may allow you to work 40 hours a week in four days or less (i.e. four 10-hour days), leaving you with a full day off once a week. This has become a popular arrangement for a wide range of workers, including federal government employees and those from large corporations like Fannie Mae and Baxter International.

5. Flexible start and stop times – Talk to your boss about rearranging your schedule so you can arrive at work two hours earlier or later than usual, and leave two hours earlier or later, to avoid the rush hour traffic or to deal with family needs. You still work 40 hours a week, but gain the flexibility of mornings off to attend to personal matters, or, if you’re a working parent, the option of being home by 3:30 when your children get home from school.

6. Split Shifts – Two parents arrange different work schedules so that one can be at home during the day and the other, at night. Some parents feel this is especially important for infants and toddlers. One caution – experts say this may save money on daycare but it can take a toll on your marriage.

7. Sabbatical – if you’re feeling burned out and need some time off, but not for reasons covered under the Family and Medial Leave Act, you may be able to negotiate some (unpaid) time off from your employer, without giving up your job and seniority or sacrificing your career.

For more ideas for real-life applications of alternative work arrangements, check out some examples from “100 Best Companies to Work For in America.”

Tips for negotiating alternative work arrangements:

• Make a “business case” for having greater flexibility, where you take on the dual perspective of employer and employee. You need to show your employer how it is in his or her own self-interest to provide great flexibility to you, especially in terms of your motivation and ability to concentrate on your job, free of family interruptions or distractions.
  
  
• Find an ally in your organization who can help you – either publicly or behind the scenes to make your case to upper management. You should choose someone who is respected and highly enough placed to have credibility with decision-makers.
  
  
• Try to anticipate specific objections or concerns of your manager about your plan and be ready to address them when your make your case.
  
  
• Be flexible yourself. Develop more than one plan – whether it’s working at different places or at different times -- for how you will get your work done on time and effectively. While you may not get your first choice of alternative work arrangements, if you go into the discussion with several options and a willingness to compromise, you are more likely to negotiate an alternative arrangement that works for you and the company.
  
  
• Consider your supervisor’s decision-making style. If he or she usually likes to see things in writing, prepare a written memo or proposal ahead of time.
  
  
• Suggest a trial period. Not only will this give you and your employer a chance to work out the kinks in your proposed arrangement, but if your employer is hesitant about the new arrangement, he or she may be more apt to okay your request if there is an “out”.
  
  
• Stick to the timeframe outlined in the trial period and be prepared to come back to your employer with a list of what you think is working and what, if any, changes you would make to ensure the arrangement runs smoothly.

Tips for negotiating alternative work arrangements adapted from Ask the Children by Ellen Galinsky. ©1999, Harper Collins.

For more ideas on how employers and employees can start a dialogue on alternative work arrangements, check out Baxter International’s guide to negotiating alternative work arrangements, the pyramid of work-life needs, excerpts from their alternative work arrangement kit and management strategies for promoting a work-life balance: http://www.baxter.com/worklife

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