If a job was designed poorly, however, offering little autonomy or control, the benefits were of little help. Not all jobs, of course, seem to invite such reform. Factory shift workers have little choice but to report to work at specific hours. As a result, they are rarely able to take advantage of programs designed to give employees more flexibility in their lives. But if the work itself is designed in a less-structured way, with both personal and business goals in mind, even shift workers benefit.
Workers get five consecutive days off at the end of each three- week rotation.
Because they don't need to use leave time for appointments, these employees have fewer personal obligations that cut into productivity. And because teams are responsible for deciding how management's goals will be met, employees who need a day off can simply switch with another team member when personal problems do arise. At Saturn, rotating day and evening shifts allow Bowden more time with her children, ages 16 and 7. And her days off give the single mother a chance to fix up her new house and see movies with her kids. Few companies, of course, have the luxury of creating a new work culture from scratch, as Saturn did.