Why Do Employers Tell Us When to Work?

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  1

  44ky

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  Flexiblity all the way baby!

  I think a structure definitely helps, but it needs to be flexible. As a working mother, I work full time, but do 1.5 days from home (which really means not being at desk at those hours, but checking email and taking calls a few times throughout the day). I end up working some evenings after the kids go to be and sometimes for a few hours on the weekend. I have a great, trusting relationship with my boss who is really more concerned about outcomes - I have earned his trust. In turn I given flexiblity to my own team and set targets and goals with them. Now we are all on the same page and focussed on the same outcomes - we don't all work the same way, but as long as we get there in the end and respect each other, it's all good! More flexibility in the workplace leads to happier, more committed staff!

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  2

  elwgreen

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Why Do Employers Tell Us When to Work?

  This can have its problems too. Many times I need support or just answers and having to reach across times zones or even around the globe causes delays in solving problems. Many times these are urgent problems. It can cause a loss of the sense of urgency that is needed to remain competitive and has caused me to lose much valuable ground I worked so hard to gain with some of my customers. Don't get me wrong here. There are many positions that can be flexible regarding asynchronous schedules and that is great if you can do that. Mine does not allow for it.

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  3

  paganc

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Why Do Employers Tell Us When to Work?

  I believe in giving flexibility hours to employees in a work week, allowing them to work when & where as long as the productivity didn't suffer. That being said, weekends should not be cut off completely or else the sense of time for working and leisure activities will most likely be mixed up. Work/life balance must be maintained!

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  4

  littul@...

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Why Do Employers Tell Us When to Work?

  While I am in favor of giving my employees and myself the benefits of flexible working hours and work locations, "conceptually" relaxing on weekends works better for me.
  
  I normally work long hours on weekdays and weeknights but prefer to keep the weekend for my family. I guess my weekend could really be Wednesday-Thursday (or pick a day or two in a week), but unless everyone else in my family goes for this "flexible weekend" option, I will have tough time syncing up with them.

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  TownsendA@...

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Why Do Employers Tell Us When to Work?

  One of the major reasons is because that is when everybody else is at work such as in the purchase and supply chain. Ever try to phone a customer at 8 o'clock in the evening or a sales representative after 6?
  if you have back office type duties flexitime is great but it doesn't work for all of us. A big downside to flexitime is that communication is affected and in the workplace certain jobs need strong teamwork e.g. logistics and manufacturing.
  Undisciplined employees have problems with flexitime as they start to work as little as possible, but use it where it works.

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  6

  akritiv

  07/09/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Why Do Employers Tell Us When to Work?

  they tell us when to work coz they are employers and paying us and we are working for them....

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  AmySilverston

  07/09/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Why Do Employers Tell Us When to Work?

  Dartmouth Park, London (a place in England):
  
  I have been reading up on flexible working this week for a friend writing a book about work-life balance.
  
  What one thought was going to be a case of the need to trumpet mothers' rights in terms of work, turns out to be a case of how UKplc is addressing its share of a European (and American) problem of declining workforce, remaining competitive internationally by achieving outputs more efficiently with fewer people (and supporting an ageing population).
  
  With increasing labour costs and declining birth rates, public policy objectives include drawing upon a sector of the potential workforce that is not working: women, especially mothers - there are EC targets for getting women back into work - whilst also persuading families to have more children.
  
  At present, flexible working is an exceptional right for specific groups within the working population - parents and carers. However, it is really effective when the whole workforce is able to work flexibly, because what parents and carers want to achieve their work-life balance is usually counter-balanced by what people with other priorities want.
  
  The reaction of many people is that this is all well and good for people at the very top or people like self-employed artists, but not realistic for the average working person, especially those whose times and places of work are dictated by the nature of the job. It comes as a pleasant surprise to discover that this is not the case at all.
  
  The Equal Opportunities Commission published a report last year that makes enlightening and interesting reading called 'Enter the Time Lords' that describes all the different sorts of ways and dimensions along which work can be flexible, with lots of practical illustrations at the end of how different companies have made it a win-win situation for themselves and their employees. See:
  http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/eoc/Default93cf.html?page=17704 (scroll down to the 'related documents' section list half-way down the screen)
  
  ACAS publish succinct guides to flexible working and the pros and cons of different options for both employers and employees, that are useful for anyone wanting to sell the idea to their employer. See http://www.acas.org.uk
  
  Of course, supporting all this are matters of child care, flexible working, etc. It seems that France is one of the most successful countries: they have the highest proportion of mothers at work (because the child care is so good) and their birth rate is the highest or almost the highest in the EC, with the greatest benefits going to families that have a third child.
  
  Don't know what it will be called or when it will be published, but Julia Hobsbawm's book promises to be interesting. Whilst I have been gathering this factual information, she is interviewing people in various situations to find out what work-life balance they manage and how they achieve it.
  
  How did I end up doing this when I am an advertising agency new business researcher, whilst Julia runs a political news monitoring service? We are two mums, with three children apiece at the same school and nursery, both of us (and respective husbands) working flexibly around families.
  
  Amy Silverston
  Amy.Silverston@btinternet.com

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  8

  seansilverthorne@...

  07/09/08 | Report as spam

  Employer's Best Interest

  Great comment Amy,
  
  If I were to sum up your answer, it's that flexible accommodations for employees are also in the best interest of many employers, especially today as working families attempt to juggle crazy schedules. Employers MUST be attuned to the lives of their workers or fear losing top-quality people to more enlightened companies.
  
  Sean

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  9

  AmySilverston

  07/09/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Why Do Employers Tell Us When to Work?

  Dartmouth Park, London (a place in England):
  
  I have been reading up on flexible working this week for a friend writing a book about work-life balance.
  
  What one thought was going to be a case of the need to trumpet mothers' rights in terms of work, turns out to be a case of how UKplc is addressing its share of a European (and American) problem of declining workforce, remaining competitive internationally by achieving outputs more efficiently with fewer people (and supporting an ageing population).
  
  With increasing labour costs and declining birth rates, public policy objectives include drawing upon a sector of the potential workforce that is not working: women, especially mothers - there are EC targets for getting women back into work - whilst also persuading families to have more children.
  
  At present, flexible working is an exceptional right for specific groups within the working population - parents and carers. However, it is really effective when the whole workforce is able to work flexibly, because what parents and carers want to achieve their work-life balance is usually counter-balanced by what people with other priorities want.
  
  The reaction of many people is that this is all well and good for people at the very top or people like self-employed artists, but not realistic for the average working person, especially those whose times and places of work are dictated by the nature of the job. It comes as a pleasant surprise to discover that this is not the case at all.
  
  The Equal Opportunities Commission published a report last year that makes enlightening and interesting reading called 'Enter the Time Lords' that describes all the different sorts of ways and dimensions along which work can be flexible, with lots of practical illustrations at the end of how different companies have made it a win-win situation for themselves and their employees. See:
  http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/eoc/Default93cf.html?page=17704 (scroll down to the 'related documents' section list half-way down the screen)
  
  ACAS publish succinct guides to flexible working and the pros and cons of different options for both employers and employees, that are useful for anyone wanting to sell the idea to their employer. See http://www.acas.org.uk
  
  Of course, supporting all this are matters of child care. It seems that France is one of the most successful countries: they have the highest proportion of mothers at work (because the child care is so good) and their birth rate is the highest or almost the highest in the EC, with the greatest benefits going to families that have a third child.
  
  Amy Silverston
  Amy.Silverston@btinternet.com