How does your employer rate?
May 3rd, 2007
There was a verrrrrrry interesting article in my hometown paper, the Seattle Times, on Sunday: “Who says 9 to 5 is normal?” It’s about local employers who recognize that giving their employees flexible work options is a smart move. (Happier employees = better worker retention = lower turnover = lower costs. Duh.)
I also appreciate the article’s implication that trusting your telecommuting and flextime employees to not act like fifth graders or JDs boosts morale. If one of your staff violates that trust (say, by cleaning their garage instead of delivering the McWhatever report on time), you don’t kill the flex program, you give that individual the boot.
If this hits home in a good way, won’t you post the name of your employer, their location, and the details of your excellent flex package in the comments below? If we continue to praise those companies who make worklife more bearable, maybe other employers — ever-eager for positive PR and shiny new recruits — will want to make “the list.” In fact, if I get enough comments, I may see about doing something else with this list on the web.
Entry Filed under: Balance, Overworked and underpaid
4 Comments Add your own
1. Ariel | May 3rd, 2007 at 8:03 am
I must credit Microsoft with meeting every one of my demands for my permanent job there: I work 3 days a week (for a total of 25 hours) and they let me work non 9to5 hours (10:30ish to 7ish) so that I can miss traffic. All this, and they give me full benefits!
2. Michelle Goodman | May 3rd, 2007 at 9:23 am
When I’ve temped at the ’soft, they’ve always let me work from home a bit and make my own hours. Granted I’m a writer/editor, but still. I love that about them. And the good pay, too.
3. Laura | May 3rd, 2007 at 9:57 am
This is not my own company, which is not so hot with the flextime and whatnot, but my fiance’s old company (before he left because he wanted to switch industries).
Best Buy Canada (and I believe in the US as well) has implemented a results-based employment system. Meaning, you can roll in at 6 am or noon instead of 8:30 if you want, and leave at 2 pm or midnight or take 3 hour lunch breaks, whatever suits you. As long as you get the job done, you can work the hours of your choosing. I think they also let a lot of staff work from home. My fiance’s still in touch with a lot of friends from there and they say that everyone’s so much happier since this started. They’re also more efficient with their time because they get to work during their most productive hours, so most of them work fewer hours now too.
4. Michelle Goodman | May 4th, 2007 at 8:46 am
thanks, laura. i have a post about best buy from last year:
http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2006/12/07/smashing-the-clock-part-2/
we should all be lucky enough to work there.
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