Employee satisfaction is becoming more of an issue because the job market is tight. Companies are having a hard time finding skilled and talented people, and salary alone can no longer buy them. Offering employees increased opportunities to balance their work and personal lives can be a vital asset for small businesses, helping recruit and retain employees as well as increasing productivity. In addition to teleworking, employers also are offering on-site day care and flexible work hours to help their employees balance their work and family lives. Flextime restructures a typical workday to accommodate individual employee schedules within limits set by management.
Possible scenarios are four-day work weeks and earlier or later than normal starting times.
Employers who offer flextime often report decreased use of paid leave, decreased tardiness and increased productivity. Employers with telework programs experience similar benefits, which have triggered significant growth in teleworking. The Work and Family Resource Center offers both flextime and teleworking options to its employees. The center works to help businesses and employees strike a balance between work and family life. The Center also is working to examine additional work-family options for small business owners.