Alternate Work Arrangements - Assignment Example

Alternative Work Arrangements: Possible Solutions for a Plethora of Problems?” Case Study By 27 November Alternative Work Arrangements: Possible Solutions for a Plethora of Problems? 1a. Benefits of Alternative Work Arrangements – Employee The ever changing work environment brings new and more competitive ways of doing business. Work force flexibility is the demand of the new workplace. “Many companies now offer flexible work schedules to employees to help them balance work and family responsibilities.

” (Martocchio, 2010) These work arrangements give employee greater choice to select their workload. It helps save commuting time and conserves energy by reducing fuel costs. It keeps the employee in control of the workload, reducing stress and increasing productivity. 1b. Benefits of Alternative Work Arrangements – Employer The alternative work arrangement gives employer greater quality of work produced by the employees. A less stressed out and more committed employee will generate better results for the company.

The employer will have a low turnover of value staff and will be labelled as the employer of choice. 2. Disadvantages of Alternative Work Arrangements These work arrangements offer lesser employee-employee face to face interaction and offers less employer control over the employee and the work at hand. It may be uncomfortable and distractive to work in an environment other than the traditional office space. It can also affect the process of goal setting, employee training and performance evaluation.

At some jobs the flexi work arrangement may cause monetary disadvantage in terms of lesser salary for a flexible schedule. These arrangements also cause less social contact and interaction among the bosses and employees resulting in lesser compatibility and understanding. 3. Factors Supporting the Use of Alternative Work Arrangement The most important factor that is pushing the organizations towards a flexible work setup is the change in the ideology and perceptions of the young influx of the workforce.

The present generation is more balanced as opposed to being work-centric or workaholic. They value a balanced approach to life rather than a skewed concept of work. This generation is motivated enough to complete the work but at their own schedule. Being in control of their time gives them a better sense of life quality thus motivating them to produce quality work. Energy conservation is also one of the most important concerns facing the economy and the environment today. The rising fuel prices and global warming both discourage fuel consumption where saving of fuel is possible.

The alternative work arrangements help conserve energy by reducing fuel consumption and thus force the organizations to adopt these flexi setups. The baby boomers entering into their 60s is also a reason organizations are turning towards the flexible work arrangement. The people in that age bracket lack the energy to work in a traditional 9-5 job. In order to retain the valued staff the firms are using alternative work arrangements as opposed to the traditional work routines and setups. 4. Alternative Work Arrangements & the US Law The pros and cons of the alternative work arrangement show that this method of work has more benefits as opposed to its few demerits.

This form of work is here to stay and is mostly liked by both the employer and the employee. Thus, the alternative work arrangements to the employees should be mandated by the US law. The law regarding these work arrangements would benefit both the employer and the employees and will align the US job market with the needs and demands of the new and contemporary business environment. Reference Martocchio, J. J. (2010). Employee benefits - a primer for human resource management. (3rd ed., pp. 230-231).

New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.