Make Flextime Work For You

Flex!

There are some moms you know who just seem to have the ability to do it all. Your friend only works four days a week and spends Fridays alone with her toddler. Your sister-in-law teaches the second grade three days a week, while another teacher takes over on Thursday and Friday. You hate them. (Nicely, of course.) How do they do it?

The answer is alternative scheduling, or "flextime." Flextime is an advantageous system for both employers and employees. This system allows the employee to choose the hours they will work, as long as the employer approves these hours. Your friend might only be working four days, but she's working four 10-hour days in order to get in those 40 hours per workweek. How can you get in on flextime? It's simple - talk to your boss. Here are some tips for preparing for this all-important discussion and making the transition to flextime as smooth as possible.

Meeting Prep

Schedule a time to meet with your boss and come prepared. Bring a list of flextime schedules that would work best for you while enabling your ability to complete all of your job functions (be sure to print out a copy for your boss). Put them in order from your best-case scenario to least-satisfying-but-still-doable option.

List the Benefits

Make a list of the benefits your new flextime schedule will have to your ability to work and to the company, so your boss can see that she still stands to gain from this arrangement too. Here are a few:

• Productivity: You can easily use this to your advantage. If you want to work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. instead of the normal 9-to-5, let your boss know that you're most productive in the morning hours and you really appreciate the quiet time before the office gets busy.
• Morale: You'll be much more focused and able to do your job when you know your family's taken care of. Instead of worrying about the babysitter's ability to pick the kids up from school, you can concentrate during your workday, knowing that you'll be picking them up at 3:30 on the dot.
• Less missed work time: Now you can schedule doctor's visits, dental work and the cable man at times later in the day without missing work. Driving in earlier means less traffic and a shorter commute, so you're pretty much guaranteed to be on time without fail. If your child gets sick, you'll have plenty of time in the morning to arrange alternate arrangements for him or her and still make it into the office by 9 a.m.

Emphasize the Easiness

Be sure to stress that this arrangement is going to make life easier for you, your boss, the company and everyone else involved. Reassure your boss that you'll make every meeting and complete every job function in the same way you do now, maybe even better!

Set Nerves Aside

Don't be nervous - you aren't the first person to propose flextime and you won't be the last. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that over 27 million people were working on flexible schedules. People request flextime for a multitude of reasons, even people who don't have kids. It isn't uncommon for people (men or women) to need a flexible schedule in order to care for a sick loved one or pet, further their education or work on self-development.

SITTERCITY REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE: Sittercity mom Becca took a job at a new company that would offer her flextime benefits when her job's rigid schedule became a problem. "I made the move to a smaller company where the president works down the hall from me instead of in a different country. My salary here is considerably less, but the benefits of this job are so great, I couldn't put a price on them. I work three days a week from the office. I come in early and take a few breaks during the day to go visit my daughter at her grandmother's house. The other two days, I work from home, maintaining constant communication with my coworkers through phone and email. If I get a call on the weekend to do a report, I don't even mind because my boss has gone to the trouble to help my job fit with my life and I feel like I can do the same for him," she says.

Be Open to Other Options

If flextime isn't a viable solution for you or your employer, don't forget there are a multitude of options other then the regular 9-to-5. Job sharing, a form of flextime in which two employees share one position, is becoming increasingly popular. Also, don't forget about working part-time or even "flexplace" telecommuting. If you and your boss decide on one of these options, be sure to thoroughly discuss your transition with your HR manager. Most of your benefits will be affected if you are no longer a full-time employee.

Be Gracious

If your boss has given you the go-ahead for flextime, nurture this situation as you would an orphaned puppy. Remember that flextime is a privilege, not a right and you'll need to continually assure your boss they've made the right decision. Don't head to the beach. Do your work! Keep communication lines open. It may be a good idea to occasionally send your boss an email in off-hours (like 7 a.m.) as proof that you're not taking advantage of their trust. If you are asked to come in for a meeting outside of your scheduled work hours, don't squawk at the extra work. Remember that your boss has gone out of his or her way to be accommodating to your needs and you should only return that same graciousness.