Issue brief

WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY INITIATIVES

The following is a compilation of traditional and innovative flexible arrangements that merit additional consideration as 

options to address the needs of employees and business in various industries. The examples for each flexible option 

are not exhaustive. Prior to implementation of any of these strategies, employers may want to consult with the U.S. 

Department of Labor for additional compliance assistance.

SCHEDULE FLEXIBILITY

Arrangement Description Benefit Examples

Flextime Workday start and end 

times differ from standard 

(same number of hours/

day).

• Allows for commute 

outside of peak hours

• Improves efficiency 

if employee works 

when they are most 

productive

• Daily flex: Work 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. instead 

of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Summer flex: Work hours during summer 

only.

• Core hours: Establish specific hours when 

all employees work (e.g., 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.); 

start and end times may vary. 

• Day-of-the-week flex: Work hours are flexed 

on one specific day each week. 

• Flexible breaks: Adjust or extend break 

times to attend to personal matters and make 

up time before or after the workday. 

Just-In-Time 

flexibility

Being able to take 

some time off during the 

workday to respond to 

unexpected needs.

• Allows employee to 

respond to last minute 

emergencies

• Report late: Call in late (up to 30 minutes) 

and make up time at the end of the workday, 

without repercussions.

• Co-worker coverage: Coordinate to adjust 

schedule or cover shift. 

Employee 

scheduling

Team: Seek employee 

input and control into 

scheduling and involve 

team in determining 

schedules and shift 

coverage.

Individual: Set 

parameters for mandated 

coverage and allow 

employees to schedule 

remaining hours to meet 

their personal needs. 

• Gives an employee 

more control over his/

her time 

• Fixed scheduling for students and those 

with second jobs.

• Smart phone app for schedule viewing.

• Using scheduling software, employees 

set their own schedules without the need for 

supervisor intervention.

• Self-scheduling/bidding that honors shift or 

trip preferences and accepts change request.
Issue brief

Page 2

Arrangement Description Benefit Examples

Shift and trip 

flexibility 

Amending work shifts 

or allowing employees 

to trade work shifts with 

coworkers to adjust one’s 

schedule.

• Gives an employee 

more control over his/

her time

• Allows employee to 

respond to last minute 

emergencies

• Advance notice of regular, assigned 

schedules and schedule changes.

• Trade, drop or pick up shifts or trips by 

coordinating with co-workers (in advance or 

day of).

• Cross-training and cross-utilizing to 

enable employees to pick up available 

shifts in other positions or locations/sites to 

maximize hours worked.

• Split shifts that allow a break of several 

hours in the workday to attend school or 

manage other personal commitments.

• Shift hour changes such as allowing a 

production employee in an 8-hour shift 

environment to work a full shift starting at 9 

a.m. instead of 6 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. 

• Full-time floater positions to reduce the 

need for temps and mandatory overtime.

• Relief pool positions for employees trained 

on all jobs within a team who can cover 

staffing shortages due to vacations and other 

time off.

• Overtime notifications sent to employees to 

solicit volunteers.

• Shift change requests with a simple process 

that allows employees to easily.

Compressed 

workweek

Full-time option with 

longer workdays for part 

of a week in exchange for 

shorter days or day(s) off 

during the pay period.

• Allows for commute 

outside of peak hours

• Improves efficiency 

if employee works 

when they are most 

productive

• Gives an employee 

more control over his/

her time

• 4-day workweek (4/10): 10-hour shift.

• 3-day workweek (3/12): 12-hour shift.

• 4 1⁄2 day workweek: Four 9-hour days and 

one 4-hour day.

• 9-day biweekly (9/80): 80 hours in 9 

workdays (typically 8 days at 9 hours and 1 

day at 8 hours).

*Prior to implementation, it is important to 

review federal and state legislation regarding 

compressed workweeks.
Issue brief

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FLEXIBILITY IN THE AMOUNT OF HOURS WORKED

Arrangement Description Benefit Examples

Part-time 

(reduced work 

schedule) 

Working fewer than 

35 hours per week to 

accommodate second 

jobs, school schedules 

or family/personal 

responsibilities.

• Gives employee 

more time 

for family 

obligations or 

personal interest

• 80% of full-time (32 hours/week), 60% of fulltime (24 hours/week).

• 50% of full-time (20 hours/week).

• Temporary move from full time to part time.

• Weekend hours only.

• Float positions that cover breaks and meal 

periods.

• Shorter shifts within the existing shift structure.

Part-year work Number of hours worked 

are calculated on an 

annual basis.

• Enables 

flexibility in 

scheduling 

blocks of time 

off

• Seasonal Work

• Teacher works a 9-month year.

Part-time 

compressed 

workweek

Enable part-time 

employees to work a 

compressed week of their 

choice.

• Allows for 

commute 

outside of peak 

hours

• Improves 

efficiency if 

employee works 

when they are 

most productive

• Gives an 

employee more 

control over his/

her time

• Five 4-hour days

• Four 5-hour days

• Two 8-hour days/One 4-hour day

• Weekends only

• “Non-extendable” part-time schedule with 

limited benefits, guaranteed days and hours of 

work, and no mandatory overtime.

Job sharing Full-time position, role or 

shift shared by two people, 

each working part-time 

hours (not necessarily an 

even split of hours).

• Gives employee 

opportunity to:

• Balance routine 

or unexpected 

work and family 

demands 

• Pursue an 

education 

• Devote time 

to a volunteer 

activity in the 

community 

• Alternate weeks with each working one week 

on, one week off.

• Share workdays with each working four hours.

• Overlap schedules with each working 21⁄2 days 

a week with a mid-week overlap.
Issue brief

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Arrangement Description Benefit Examples

Compressed 

workweek

Full-time option with 

longer workdays for part 

of a week in exchange for 

shorter days or day(s) off 

during the pay period.

• Allows for 

commute 

outside of peak 

hours

• Improves 

efficiency if 

employee works 

when they are 

most productive

• Gives an 

employee more 

control over his/

her time

• 4-day workweek (4/10): 10-hour shift.

• 3-day workweek (3/12): 12-hour shift.

• 4 1⁄2 day workweek: Four 9-hour days and one 

4-hour day.

• 9-day biweekly (9/80): 80 hours in 9 workdays 

(typically 8 days at 9 hours and 1 day at 8 

hours).

*Prior to implementation, it is important to 

review federal and state legislation regarding 

compressed workweeks.

FLEXIBILITY IN THE PLACE OF WORK

Arrangement Description Benefit Examples

Job transfer Transfer to other work 

locations when relocating 

household for personal 

reasons.

• Employee 

can maintain 

benefits 

eliminating gaps 

in coverage

• Enables employee to change job or position 

• Transfer to a different location

Telework Occasional telework from 

home during inclement 

weather or urgent family/

home situations.

• Eliminates 

commute

• Limits office 

based 

distractions

• At-home offices in jobs such as reservations 

agents, financial services, customer service, 

billing, marketing, etc.

Flex-place Working from more than 

one location in a local area 

or other geography.

• Allows 

employees to 

optimize hours 

and help fill in 

gaps in various 

work locations

• Work from home full time

• Telework on set days 

Job relocation Periodically, or seasonally, 

changing the place of 

work.

• Allows 

employees 

to select the 

most suitable 

geographic 

location based 

on their personal 

obligations and 

preferences

• Snowbird programs enable employees to work 

in warmer climates during the winter months.
Issue brief

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Arrangement Description Benefit Examples

Job sharing 

hires 

Hire job share teams and 

base them at the same 

work location.

• Creates 

part-time 

opportunities 

in a full-time 

position.

• Each employee works 2.5 days per week. 

• Senior-level executive share a 70+ hour/week 

and share benefits.

Remote 

production 

Work done away from the 

formal worksite.

• Eliminates 

or reduces 

commute

• Some parts assembly work performed at 

home or from a remote location such as a 

satellite production center.

LEAVE FLEXIBILITY

Arrangement Description Benefit Examples

Leave policies & 

banks

Time off for vacations, 

rest and relaxation, and 

personal business or 

emergencies.

• Gives an 

employee more 

control over his/

her time

• Allows 

employee to 

respond to 

last minute 

emergencies

• Paid time off bank that includes the entire 

allotment of days off to use for any reason.

• Paid sick leave to care for dependent children 

and adults.

• Extended leave policy to allow employees time 

to visit home countries.

• Updated attendance policies that consider 

work-life needs and allow excused absences.

• Floating holidays to enable employees to take 

different holidays off.

Other time off Time off for vacations, 

rest and relaxation, and 

personal business or 

emergencies.

• Gives an 

employee more 

control over his/

her time

• Allows 

employee to 

respond to 

last minute 

emergencies

• Day-at-a-time vacation

• Vacation buying or borrowing

• Vacation donation enables employees to give 

unused paid time off to a co-worker in need.

• Paid personal/emergency days off, typically 

one to three annually.

• Unpaid time off to attend parent-teacher 

conference or other personal commitments.

• Voluntary time off during down time.

• Staffing models with continuous shifts that 

build in extra people and offer unpaid time off if 

coverage is not needed on a particular day.
Issue brief

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CAREER FLEXIBILITY

Arrangement Description Benefit Examples

Phased 

retirement

Gradual reduction of work 

hours and responsibilities 

for the purpose of easing 

into full retirement.

• Provides a 

higher income 

than if the 

employee 

leaves entirely 

• Part-time work

• Seasonal or part-year work 

• Job sharing 

• Project work 

Sabbatical Paid or unpaid time off 

for personal enrichment, 

volunteerism or other 

activities.

• Builds skills

• Helps employee 

to identify 

opportunities 

for performance 

improvement 

• Typically leave for more than 4 weeks for 

travel, volunteering, learning, research, goal 

attainment, personal growth, or innovation.

Retiree Pool Create retiree pool as a 

source of labor to help 

meet short-term demands.

• Creates 

opportunities 

for retirees to 

earn additional 

income

• Re-hiring retired workers

Re-careering On-the-job training 

programs, to teach new 

skills and offer resources 

to transition to different 

practice or project areas.

• Builds skills

• Helps employee 

to identify 

opportunities 

for performance 

improvement

• Career coaching

Customized 

Career path 

Redesign or scale back 

job responsibilities, 

such as moving to a 

job without supervisory 

responsibilities.

• Allows 

employee to 

“step back” or 

“step ahead” 

or “step 

sideways” as 

responsibilities 

or career 

desires change

• Exit and reentry programs

Job rotation Move to another position 

for a specific period of 

time or number of days a 

week; often develops out 

of cross-training.

• Builds skills • Flex staffing pool for workers who want to take 

a break from a regular, full-time job, but want to 

stay engaged in project work in a professional 

workplace

Source: Roundtree, L. (2005). Approaches to workplace flexibility. Prepared for DOL, Women’s Bureau, Flex-Options Project incorporating 

previous unpublished client work by author; Madoo, N. (February 2014), work-life consultant and expert in hourly flexibility, personal interviews; 

Williams, J. (February 17, 2011). Hourly workers. Presentation at the National Dialogue on Workforce Flexibility, Pasadena, CA; Workplace 

Flexibility 2010, Georgetown Law and The Institute for Workplace Innovation, University of Kentucky (May 2011). Flexible Workplace Solutions 

for Low-Wage Hourly Workers: A framework for a national conversation. Retrieved from: http://workplaceflexibility2010.org/images/uploads/

whatsnew/Flexible%20Workplace%20Solutions%20for%20Low-Wage%20Hourly%20Workers.pdf; Social Dynamics, LLC. (October 21, 2011). 

Research and Analysis of Workplace Flexibility: National dialogue synthesis report. Unpublished manuscript prepared for U.S. Department of 

Labor, Women’s Bureau.
Contact us

Page 7

CONTACT US

Website: www.dol.gov/wb/

E-mail: Womens.Bureau@dol.gov

Mail:

Women’s Bureau

U.S. Department of Labor

200 Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20210

Phone: 1-800-827-5335 or (202) 693-6710

Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, October 2015.