Never married adults are one of the fastest growing groups in America, doubling in size since 1970. The number of single person households and married couples with no children will increase by at least 50 percent by the year 2010. Policies may be expanded to include not just working parents, but all individuals who desire a flexible work schedule. Additional benefits might include mortgage assistance, wellness programs, tuition assistance, or financial planning services, among others. There's Always Another Way Effective programs provide options to the traditional ways of delivering work and providing employee benefits.
Most programs fall into one of three categories.
Such programs allow employees to access necessary services and, to some extent, customize benefits. They are a strategy for increasing company productivity and profits. A survey of nine employers in the Smart Valley Initiative in California found telecommuters to be 25 percent more productive on the days they worked at home and 20 percent more productive overall. A Xerox customer service center turned decisions about work schedules over to employees. Employee work teams now control the scheduling, resulting in improved morale, better customer service, and a 30 percent reduction in the absenteeism rate.