Flexible Work Arrangements

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Popular Alternatives to Enhance Benefits Programs
June 23, 2009

The economic downturn has forced many companies to reduce expenses and the level of benefits provided to employees. To offset the sting from cuts to benefit programs, an increasing number of companies are offering flexible work arrangements to enhance work-life balance, improve morale, and prevent the loss of valuable employees.

Results from a 2009 Culpepper Benefits Survey reveal that 90 percent of companies offer one or more flexible work arrangements to employees.

Flexible work arrangements include a variety of different alternative work schedules and programs to promote work-life balance such as telecommuting, flexible work hours, compressed workweeks, part-time employment, phase-back from maternity leave, phased retirement, job sharing, and seasonal schedules.

Across most job levels, telecommuting and flextime are the two most common flexible work arrangements (Figure 1, Table 1).

Table 1: Percent of Companies Offering Flexible Work Arrangements by Job Level
Flexible Work Arrangement	Executives	Manager Level Employees	Professional Level Employees	Hourly and Non-Exempt Employees
Telecommuting / Teleworking	57%	68%	72%	33%
Flextime (Flexible Work Hours)	56%	65%	69%	49%
Part-Time Employment	16%	31%	50%	42%
Compressed Workweeks	18%	18%	26%	25%
Phase-Back from Maternity Leave	13%	17%	19%	12%
Job Sharing	2%	2%	7%	8%
Seasonal Schedules	6%	5%	5%	6%
Phased Retirement	7%	7%	5%	3%

In addition to the data table and figure above, we provide a more comprehensive report with additional information and data tables covering the following:

Flexible Work Arrangements with breakouts by job level and demographic data cuts.
Number of Days Telecommuting per Week with breakouts by number of days allowed and demographic data cuts.

Required Home Office Work Conditions for Telecommuting with breakouts by demographic data cuts.

Assistance Provided to Telecommuting Employees with breakouts by demographic data cuts.

Demographic data cuts include:

Number of Employees (1 to 100, 101 to 500, 501 to 2,500, Over 2,500),
Industry Sector (Technology, Life Sciences, Healthcare)
Ownership (Public, Private, Non-Profit)
Country (U.S. and Canada)

Availability of Comprehensive Report as Downloadable PDF

Free to participants in 2009 Telecommuting & Flexible Work Arrangements Survey
Free to subscribers of Culpepper Benefits Survey Package
(includes Culpepper Library and Small Company Plus subscribers)
$295 for non-participants and non-subscribers (Order Form)

Data Source: Culpepper Benefits Survey of 182 organizations.
Survey Dates: April 13 through June 9, 2009

Breakdown by Sector:
Technology 58%, Life Sciences 13%, Healthcare Services 7%, Other 23%

Participant Breakdown by Number of Employees:
Up to 100: 23%, 101 to 500: 24%, 501 to 2,500: 28%, 2,501 to 10,000 14%, Over 10,000: 11%

Participant Breakdown by Ownership/Corporate Status:
Public 32%, Private 56%, Non-Profit 10%, Other 2%

Participant Breakdown by Country:
United States 90%, Canada 7%, Other 3%

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Flexible Work Arrangements: Popular Alternatives to Enhance Benefits Programs June 23, 2009

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Popular Alternatives to Enhance Benefits Programs
June 23, 2009