Flexitime¹ and the Compressed Workweek² for the Small Firm: Some Employee Reactions

Abstract

This paper reports the results of the implementation of a flexitime and compressed workweek schedule, in three small firms, representing the retail, manufacturing and service industries. A pre-flexitime and compressed workweek questionnaire was administered and compared to a post-workweek, and on compressed workweek questionnaire administered one year following the implementation of both programs. The variables measured were preference, job attitudes, perceived productivity, personal life and employee turnover. The results indicate that the employees of all three firms preferred flexitime and the compressed workweek (.01 level); employees of all three firms reported feeling more favorable toward job, company and co-workers (.01 level); employees of all three firms indicated that flexitime had increased their performance at work (.10 level), only the retail and manufacturing groups felt there was an increase in productivity due to the compressed workweek (.10 level); all three groups rated personal life more positive under both programs (.10 level); employee turnover was found to be insignificant in all three groups from the “pre” to the “post” periods.

Towards workplace flexibility: flexitime arrangements in Sri Lanka

“…It is the technical requirements of the work and the way in which workflows are organized that determine whether the system will work (Owen, 1977). As a HR practice, flexitime provides considerable benefits to both employer and employee (see Cohen and Single, 2001;Evans, 1973;Latona, 1981;Ronen, 1981;Rubin, 1979). However, individual differences influence the extent to which flexitime gives benefits to employees and its impact on job-related attitudes and career outcomes, and hence their responses to flexitime (Almer and Kaplan, 2002;Albion, 2004).…”

Alternate Work Schedules, Productivity, Leave Usage, and Employee Attitudes: A Field Study

“…The Kim and Campagna and Orpen studies are among the few which have utilized rigorous research designs. Golembiewski and Proehl (1978) provided an ex tensive review of 32 empirical studies in the public sector and reported only two which utilized statistical treatment to test the data.Studies by several researchers (Craddock, Lewis and Rose, 1981;Latona, 1981; Orpen, 1981;McGrath, 1980) found that employee satisfaction increased after the implementation of an AWS program. In a recent study, however, Dunham and Pierce (1983) found that while employee satisfaction with work schedules increased under AWS, other employee satisfaction factors were largely unchanged.…”

“…Studies by several researchers (Craddock, Lewis and Rose, 1981;Latona, 1981; Orpen, 1981;McGrath, 1980) found that employee satisfaction increased after the implementation of an AWS program. In a recent study, however, Dunham and Pierce (1983) found that while employee satisfaction with work schedules increased under AWS, other employee satisfaction factors were largely unchanged.…”