Non-Traditional Work Situations Finally Catching On

Culture

from the it's-about-the-work,-not-the-hours dept

For many years, I’ve been a big believer in having companies that encourage employees to get work done, not on some metric that doesn’t necessarily apply, such as “hours in the office.” To that end, I’ve said repeatedly that things like personal surfing at work, taking naps at work, and having more flexibility in working hours and working spaces makes sense. I don’t necessarily believe that non-traditional offices should be forced on workers, but for many it can make them more productive. It often allows workers to be more productive, by letting them recharge their batteries when needed, and not forcing them to work when it would be counter productive for them to do so, even if the hours suggest they should be working. It appears that others are coming around to this viewpoint as well. Flexible working arrangements are catching on, from telecommuting to job sharing to odd hours. Meanwhile, since so few companies encourage their employees to take naps when they’re feeling tired, one company is setting up a storefront for naptakers. For $14 (which seems a bit pricey), you get a comfy chair or “pod” and a twenty minute power nap to get refreshed. Of course, someone will come up with examples of how these types of non-traditional work ideas are bound to be abused, but the good thing is that the successes and failures can be judged on the individual employee’s performance. If they’re getting their job done, who cares if they work at home, at odd hours or take naps occasionally?