Working Mothers: Get Work/Family Balance Through a Flexible Work Arrangement
Your home life, finances, and career goals will help you determine which flexible work option is a suitable match. Here is an overview of the most common full-time and part-time flexible work arrangements to consider.
Choosing a Full-time Flexible Work Arrangement
Flexible work options which maintain your full-time income include flextime, telecommuting and compressed workweek.
Flextime is the most popular flexible work option available and usually the easiest to get approved. It allows you a flexible starting and quitting time within management-set limits. For example, if your normal work hours are from 8:00 to 5:00, a flextime schedule might allow you to work from 6:30 to 3:30, 9:00 to 6:00, or whatever start/stop time worked best for you, while still being workable for your employer.
Choose the flextime option if you want to preserve your visibility on the job by your daily presence, yet enjoy the use of restructured 'extra' time provided in the morning or afternoon.
Telecommuting would allow you to work at home during part of your scheduled hours. Typically, telecommuters come into the office two or three days a week to attend meetings and to stay visible.
If some of your job responsibilities can be done remotely, choose the telecommuting or work-from-home option. Cutting the time, costs and stress of commuting will reap measurable payoffs.
A compressed workweek has you working 40 hours in fewer than five days. The most widely used set-up is 10 hour days for four days a week.
Choose this option if you need that additional day off, have the stamina to consistently work 10-hour days, and if outside scheduling commitments and arrangements (e.g., child care) can fit into this non-traditional schedule.
Choosing a Part-time Flexible Work Arrangement
Would you say you have an over-scheduled lifestyle? Choosing a part-time work option can be just the ticket to a slower pace, while still remaining active and visible in your career. Consider the following options.
Are you often tired with little time for yourself after you've taken care of everyone else's needs? If so, a shortened workday of five, six or seven hours can help make the difference between stress and sanity as you juggle your work and personal lives. With fewer hours on the job, you may find yourself with more energy to get the job done.
If you'd like a full day off during the week to be with your young child(ren), a shortened workweek may be your best option. A four day workweek can be an affordable option that works well in most professional positions. Anything less than four days a week and you may be unable to meet your job duties--unless you job share.
A job sharing arrangement is a form of part-time work where two people share the responsibilities of one full-time position. For professionals or managers and others in high level career paths, job sharing is an attractive work option for keeping on the career track while still allowing more time outside of work.
Redesigning your job to be less-than-full-time generally requires thoughtful and thorough planning. Your boss will want assurance of how the work will get done with your new arrangement. If your employer doesn't have a part-time or job-sharing policy, be encouraged by the fact that many such arrangements are set up informally between a valued employee and her boss.
Policy or not, a written detailed proposal to your immediate supervisor is a crucial step to getting approval of any flexible work arrangement. It's up to you to develop the business case which shows how your employer will benefit and have its needs met under your new arrangement.
Start by answering the question, "How will your job get done under the new arrangement?" Use the free Redesign Your Job worksheets found http://workoptions.com/redesign.htm to start the process.
Related Tags: telecommuting, working mother, flexible work, job sharing, new moms, reduced work schedule
Pat Katepoo is the founder of WorkOptions.com Online since 1997, WorkOptions.com has been cited by The Wall Street Journal as "the best all-around Web site" for talking your boss into flexible work. She is the author of the Flex Success Proposal Template for getting telecommuting, job sharing, part-time and compressed workweek arrangements approved. Go to http://WorkOptions.com to find out how to get the boss to say 'yes' to your flexible work request.
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