A flexible work schedule can be a real boon for a business: flex time scheduling can improve morale and productivity, help deal with bottlenecks in filling a facility and assist with the benefits of staggered shifts. Often, in flex scheduling, a company can find its strength and promote efficiency. Workers also enjoy having the control over their schedules.

When a business is just starting to look into flexible work schedule consulting services and arrangements, there are some steps a manager or decision maker can take before going "blindly" into consultation. The web offers resources for self-analysis so that a business can "do the homework" before rushing into a flexible work schedule consulting situation without prior knowledge of how it may change a business. Business leaders can find web resources for working with flexible work schedule consultants including:

1. Learning about some of the basic reasons for flexible work schedule consulting.

2. Figuring out how flex work schedule consulting gets done and how it can cause re-structuring issues or benefits.

3. More on flexible work schedule options within a given industry.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find government resources for learning about flexible work schedule options

It helps to start with any government resources that may shed some light on the nuts and bolts of comparative business practices. Browse the sites of applicable government agencies to get statistics, tips and incentives for dealing with flexible work schedule consultancy.

I recommend: The federal U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics offers resources like this one for helping businesses to figure out where they are at vis-a-vis a flexible work schedule situation. Or visit the U.S. EPA online and see how the environmental protection department is leading the way in flex time for employees (generally the four-day week) in aid of a greener world.

Locate more on flexible work schedule from journals and publications

Another way to do the homework on flexible work schedules is with info from business-oriented sources that will help a manager be thoughtful about entering into a deal with a scheduling consultant shop.

I recommend: Highbeam Research can get reader-authored articles, including these from the Journal of Business and Enterpreneurship for doing the homework on what is feasible for flex work hours, before chatting with work scheduling consultants. Or use resources like these from a Work and Family Blog from Sloan Work and Family Research Network to see how flexible work scheduling consulting is catching on among bigger businesses.

Get flexible work schedule resources for different industries

It also helps to tailor research to your specific kind of business, so that work done with a work scheduling consultant can be applied as accurately as possible.

I recommend: Find flex schedule resources for medical fields at sites like Nursing Link. For more resources covering other professions, try Work Options online.

A flexible work schedule can be beneficial to employers and employees. Implement programs like flexible work schedules and telecommuting to reduce real estate and utility costs. These arrangements also decrease employee stress and burnout, resulting in lower staff turnover and a more productive workforce.

There are several ways to offer flexible work schedules, including part-time schedules, shift work such as longer shifts worked on fewer days, telecommuting or job sharing. It can be a challenge to implement flexible work scheduling. Flexible work schedule consultants and other resources can help, whether you're an employer who wants to get started or an employee who'd like to propose a flex work schedule. Here are a few things you can do to get started:

1. Talk to flexible work schedule consulting companies about their services.

2. Find out what you need to include in your flexible work schedule plan.

3. Look into resources like telecommuting and job sharing.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Check out the services provided by flexible work schedule consultants

Flexible work schedule consulting companies are human resource or management consulting companies that specialize in flexible scheduling. Flexible work schedule cconsultants offer ideas to help develop and implement flexible scheduling. Consultant services include task priorizations, policy design, and assistance with employee training and communication.

I recommend: WFD Consulting specializes in flexible management systems, work design programs, and virtual office preparation. Flexible Resources Inc. is a flexible work schedule consulting and staffing firm that promotes flexible hiring strategies, including part time, job sharing and telecommuting programs. The Herman Group forecasts the future of workforce and workplace issues. Their flexible work schedule consulting services include articles, books and training. Shiftwork Solutions is a scheduling consultant that assists with designing shiftwork schedules.

Look into job sharing

Job sharing is a way to offer flexible part-time schedules while still having coverage and completing tasks. In a job sharing arrangement, 2 employees share the hours and responsibilities of a high-level job.

I recommend: Job Share Connection is a network of people looking for others to share their jobs. Career Partners is a job sharing company that works with employers and employees.

Develop a plan

Before starting a flexible work arrangement, you will need to define which employees are covered by the plan, conditions for approving a plan and specific types of schedules and arrangements.

I recommend: Get information about what your plan should include from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Not all employees can adapt to flexible work schedules or telecommuting. Offer some training and direction on time management and organizational skills.

Flexible work schedule consulting services can help your company develop employee-friendly human resource policies. With laptops and high speed Internet readily available, your employees can work from home some or all of the time. Your efforts to implement a flexible work schedule will be especially appreciated by the parents on your staff, who can take advantage of reduced schedules and telecommuting options to spend more time with their children.

Helping your people manage their time will also help them manage their stress, which in turn makes for a more productive, creative team. A scheduling consultant can help you organize your business's operations so that it is possible for your employees to work from home, and help you develop appropriate payment and benefit packages to suit unique work arrangements.

Flexible work schedule consultants' blogs and publications can help you choose a firm. Reading up on flexible work schedule consultants news and trends is also a good way to start exploring your options. Some trends include:

1. Workweeks compressed to four days.

2. Job sharing, where two employees share one full-time job.

3. Informal flexible work schedules.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get info from organizations that promote flexible work schedules

Flexible scheduling is part of an entire work-life movement among people who believe that business should move away from a traditional 40-hour, five-day workweek. There are a few organizations for proponents of the work-life movement that work to promote flex work schedule solutions and the consultants who implement them. You can look to these organizations to find out about trends in business and government policy.

I recommend: The Alliance for Work-Live Progress has a roundup of flex schedule news, in addition to its Work-Life Blog. The Families and Work Institute publishes research on flexibility trends in the workplace.

Find resources for work scheduling consultants and employers

There are a number of sites that publish news and resources geared to the HR professional and employer who are interested in flexible scheduling options. You might be able to sign up for a newsletter, or just subscribe to a blog.

I recommend: WFC Resources has an excellent website for employers, employees and consultants alike. In addition to a blog, it has a generous list of flex schedule tools and resources. The Society for Human Resources is devoted to HR issues in general but its Organizational & Employee Development newsletter does have tips on flexible scheduling in the workplace.

Read flexible work schedule consultancy blogs and publications

If you're in the process of choosing a flexible work schedule consultant or just want some free advice, you can glean plenty of useful information from consultant blogs and online publications. That's where you'll find a mix of news and advice from consultants in the business.

I recommend: WFD Consulting publishes research and webinars that relate to flexible work options. The blog for the consultancy, Life Meets Work, has plenty of up-to-date information on work trends. Flexible Workforce is the blog of a flexible work schedule consultant who is herself a working mother.

Many companies that once resisted a flexible work schedule are now singing its praises. They’re no longer afraid that these schedules will cause them to lose control of employees since early experiments with flex time have reported excellent results. These same companies have even added flexible work schedules to their employee engagement strategy, allowing them to offer employees perks that don’t cost management a thing. If you’re not sure whether a flexible work schedule can work in your business, consider the following key terms that might change your mind.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Extended client, home location

The extended client, home location flexible work schedule arrangement allows an employee to work off-site at a client's office and then to complete follow-up work at home through remote access to the employer's computer system. As much as possible, consultants encourage employees who follow this schedule to put in the same number of hours as they would in a normal work week.

I recommend: Learn which types of jobs and organizations are best suited to the extended client, home location flexible schedule at Benchmark Consulting.

Government regulations

Flexible work schedule consultants urge companies to pay close attention to government regulations that relate to employment policies. They emphasize the need to show employees you're willing to try implementing a flex work time policy even if you're not convinced it will work in your company.

I recommend: Vault treats the subject of government regulations in detail by explaining how these regulations can influence your employees’ abilities to manage a flex time schedule while maintaining acceptable levels of productivity.

Building a culture of flexibility

If you've never had flex time in your company before, consultants suggest you start by building a culture of flexibility in areas other than employee work schedules. For example, you can become more flexible in your training programs and in your performance appraisal process.

I recommend: Go to WFD Consulting to learn how you can ease into the flex time work schedule by building a culture of flexibility.

Commuter friendly workplace

Sometimes advising businesses how to handle flexible work schedules requires consultants to teach them about creating a commuter friendly workplace. This means that employees are encouraged to car pool, take mass transit or even work remotely from home. Employers do this by providing special parking arrangements, contracting with vendors to reduce parking fees or make other compensations for those choosing alternate transportation methods.

I recommend: At Connecticut Consumer Services you’ll learn tips on how to entice employees to make other travel arrangements when getting to work.

Benefits of flex time

Consultants rely on research that identifies the benefits of flex time as a way to encourage more companies to adopt these schedules. Benefits include allowing mothers more before or after school time with their children, the ability to find independent contractors who follow flex time schedules and substantial savings in equipment and operating costs.

I recommend: Use the discussion of flex time benefits at Flex Jobs if you need to convince your managers that these schedules benefit management as well as employees.

Flexibility and productivity

The interplay between flexibility and productivity has become a talking point for flexible work schedule consultants. They urge companies to accept the research that shows employees perform at higher levels when they are satisfied with their working arrangements. This includes a positive atmosphere in the workplace and the ability to work flex time according to their personal needs.

I recommend: Get the specifics on this research at Cisco. You’ll also get the facts on how flex time arrangements have been shown to boost productivity while decreasing operating costs.