Following is a brief descriptions of actions that can be and have been taken, including some unions that have taken these actions. Flexible Work Schedules One of the hardest things for working families is that things don't always go as planned. Your child misses the bus, you have to run errands on your lunch hour, you need to take your mother to a mid-day doctor's appointment, you want to be home by 3pm when your kids get home. There are various ways for an employer to make work schedules more flexible. However, it is important to remember that a schedule is not flexible if it is involuntary.
Flexibility means the worker chooses.
Beyond those core hours, the employee may choose when to come and go, as long as the total hours worked remains the same. Some may take a 2 hour lunch, others may come in early and leave early. Two workers with the same job may opt to share that job in an effort to reduce hours. The two workers combined will have the workload and hours of one person. This is often helpful to employers because it means extended hours of coverage, while it is also helpful for the worker who wants to work fewer hours.