WHILE THE 9-TO-5 WORKER has been the model for many years now -- at least since the Dolly Parton movie -- employers and employees are experimenting with different schedules for various reasons: avoid traffic, meet family commitments, better serve customers on the other side of the country or world. Flexible schedules are fast becoming one of the perks workers of all ages desire when they go job hunting.
LifeCare Inc. conducted an online survey among the employees of its 1,500 client companies and asked them this question: What is the single most important program/benefit your employer could offer that would keep you working productively and happily as you get older? Nearly half of the respondents chose flexible work schedule/part-time work as the top answer among several available responses.
"Without question, work/like balance is a priority for workers today, and many of them are pointing to flex time as a solution," says Peter G. Burki, LifeCare's CEO.
Responses to the survey ranked as follows:
- Flexible work schedules/part-time work: 49 percent
- Health and wellness programs: 15 percent
- New training/learning opportunities: 13 percent
- Temporary assignments on a rotating basis: 5 percent
- Retirement planning tools: 3 percent
College tuition assistance, retiree benefits, gym memberships and fitness facilities all garnered less than 1 percent of the responses.
Burki points out that if flex time isn't an option at a particular company, some combination of the other responses could be the solution.
