Flex Time Wins Out, Especially Good News for Women

Following the lead of many states that have shifted to compressed (or reduced) work weeks, businesses of all stripes – large and small, across industries and geographically dispersed – have similarly come around… a growing recognition of the value of having a flexibly-structured workplace. In fact, many companies are promoting their flexible approach to staffing as a recruitment tool, particularly to obtain and retain top talent. And working women perhaps stand to benefit most, typically more likely than men to request (even require) creatively-structured work routines due to familial commitments.

As this recent New York Times article notes:

“The accounting giant KPMG, looking for a way to save payroll costs without losing valued employees, introduced an initiative called Flexible Futures. This new program offered the 11,000 professionals in KPMG’s British operations the following options: They could go to a four-day workweek and take a 20 percent pay cut; they could opt for a mini-sabbatical at 30 percent base pay; they could opt for both of the above; or they could stick with their current arrangement. The program was hugely successful. Over 80 percent of KPMG’s professional employees (men and women) volunteered to take one of the flexible options. This allowed KPMG to achieve its goal of retaining jobs while cutting costs…

KPMG is not alone in using time as currency. The global consulting firm Booz & Company recently started a ‘partial pay’ sabbatical. As of April, Booz employees can take a one-month to a yearlong sabbatical at 20 percent of base pay plus medical benefits and return to a guaranteed job. The program is positioned as a way to cut costs in this downturn while holding on to crucial talent.”

The article ends appropriately with the comment, a possible sign of things to come: “When a 35-year-old high-performing woman who happens to be a new mother can scale back to a four-day week and be honored for that choice rather than being written off, we’re on our way to a different future.”