Once the assessment has been completed, the arrangement can be continued on an indefinite basis, or modified in some way, or the employee can return to the previous work arrangement. Departments retain control of work arrangements. An employee always drops off his child at school at the same time each morning, and goes directly from there to work. An employee is in a vanpool that meets at the same time each day. The department opens to the public at a certain hour, and the employee, as the department's only receptionist, must be present to greet callers.
Communication is generally easiest when schedules are fixed.
By coordinating their schedules, the department may be able to assure continuous coverage, and may even be able to extend service hours. Variable Schedules Variable schedules are useful when the department's or the employee's needs are somewhat unpredictable. An employee has a long commute, and has to drop off an infant at day care and another at school before arriving at work. Thus, it is difficult to arrive at precisely the same time each day. The employee volunteers at his child's school, and likes to vary his schedule a bit when there are special school events.