This write up offers information on how an organization can transition from their current organizational culture and processes to a Results-Only Working Environment. This new working environment allows employees the ultimate freedom in controlling and scheduling their time to have a greater work-life balance. I created this write up for my current internship with JumpStart: HR.

1. Converting to a ROWE (Results-Only-Work-Environment)
Legalities
• PTO (Paid Time Off) is a benefit that is not mandated by the government, so recording vacation
time is not a legal requirement.
o Recording whom was on vacation displayed the staffing level during the time period
• The real legal ramification is calculating how many hours each employee has worked.
o Varies by State
o Some States consider 40+ hours a week as overtime
o Some States consider working 8+ hours a day as overtime
 Track the time the employees have worked by allowing their network login
information count how many hours they are working.
Communicating the Transition
• Explain what ROWE is:
o It is a results only working environment.
o ROWE is based on performance and goal meeting.
o Employees make their own work hours.
 Example: Someone takes the afternoon off to play golf, as long as they have a
way to be contacted it is fine to do so.
 Example: Not all employees are required to be at their “physical” desks at a set
time, you may come to work at 2 pm if you so choose to do so
o Employees are allowed to work remotely.
• Explain why transiting to ROWE is beneficial
o ROWE measures the actual employee results and performance meaning that physical
attendance is not needed to be a high performer.
o Employees have the freedom to plan their time:
 Aids in the work-life balance aspect for employees.
 Employees do not need to explain their comings and goings to managers.

2.  No longer are required to save up vacation and/or sick days to attend to
personal affairs.
o Employer saves money from not being required to pay costs of renting and or owning a
building to house all their employees at one time.
o Reduces employee turnover which means no employee is given more work while we
look for a replacement.
• Explain when and how the transition will occur:
o Give a timeline of when each phrase of the transition will occur.
 Whomever is spearheading the transition must be available for questions
• Give out contact information for employees to direct their questions
and concerns.
• Allow employees to give suggestions on how to make the new working
environment a success.
o State to the employees what you need from them to make the transition a success
Measuring Productivity
• Departments will have a department wide conversation about its departmental goals for the
year.
o Discuss what will need to be done to attain these goals.
 Needs honest and open communication throughout the entire department.
 Needs teamwork to make the department goals a reality.
 Assess if any additional technology is needed to attain goals.
• If it is needed look to the budget to see if it is affordable for the
department to buy or lease the technology.
• If it is not in the budget, then figure out a way to perform the work
without the technology.
o Assess if the department has everything it needs to attain these goals.
o Department director distributes work amount among the department managers.

3.  Managers will check in with the department director to discuss how their teams
are progressing through the quarter(s).
o Managers distributes among amongst their team.
• Managers will have a one-on-one meeting with each employee to discuss what goals to make
for each quarter of the year.
o Make realistic and attainable goals for each quarter.
o Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the employee:
 Discuss how to improve upon the strengths.
 Discuss how to decrease or limit the weaknesses.
• Create a plan to improve the strengths and to decrease the weaknesses.
o Manager is available to the employees to discuss any problems, concerns or questions
the employee may have.
 Send managers updates about their progression through each quarter.
 If the employee has fallen behind, discuss possible reasons why it has occurred
and develop a plan for the employee to catch up.
• Possible Plan: Arrange for another meeting to discuss if the goals were
too advantageous and ambitious and craft new goals.
• Possible Plan: Help the employee prioritize their goals so they will know
which goals must be completed by what date and which are of great
importance.
• Possible Plan: Arrange for training for the employee so they may
sharpen their skills to allow the employee to produce better results.
• Possible Plan: Shifting responsibilities to another employee that is
ahead so that the one that has fallen behind does not feel
overwhelmed.
• Base the performance reviews on the goals that were attained.
o Raises and bonuses are given out based on the goals that were attained.
o If an employee has good overall performance, but fell short of meeting their goals have
a consultation with the manager to discuss what happened as to why they did not meet
their goals.

4.  Give the employees tools to use to increase their productivity.
• Tips on time management and goal setting.
o Probation will be given to employees that failed to meet the majority or most important
goals.
 Probation will last for two quarters.
• During this probation the employee will work directly with the manager
or mentor to improve their performance.
o Attend mandatory training sessions:
 Training Session Topic: Time Management Skills.
 Training Session Topic: Creating Realistic and Attainable
Goals.
 Training Session Topic: Technical skills for the
employee’s position  Manager would know what
technical skills the employee need to be successful
• If there is improvement the employee will be expected to continue
improving without the direct guidance of the manager or mentor.
• If there is no improvement then the employee must be let go.
o The departments that have good overall performance reviews, but fell short of their
departmental goals should have a department meeting and or conversation about why
they did not meet their goals.
 Were the goals unrealistic?
 Is the department understaffed?
• Consider hiring more people if it is in the budget.
• If it is not in the budget to do any hiring, rethink how the work was
distributed.
 Talk to the departments that were successful in meeting their goals and ask
them what they did.
o The departments that did not meet their goals at all are on a department wide
probation.

5.  Department probation lasts for four quarters.
o During this time the department director will work with the Human
Resources department to see if they are setting appropriate and
attainable goals.
o The Human Resources department will work with the department to
see what could have been an obstacle in obtaining their goals.
 Bad management?
• Improvement management style with training.
• Replace management staff.
 Understaffed?
• Consider hiring more employees.
o Part-time or full-time.
 Not up to date on the latest information about their positions?
• Have a training session to sharpen their skills.
 Needs new technology?
• See if new technology can be provided to the
department.

6. Sources
Blakely, L. (2008). What is a Results-Only-Work-Environment? CBSNews. Retrieved from
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-51237128/what-is-a-results-only-work-environment/
Colin, M. (2006). Smashing the Clock. Business Week Magazine. Retrieved from
http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-12-10/smashing-the-clock
Fox, A. (2009). Gap Outlet: Second Retailer Adopts Results-Only Work Environment Strategy. SHRM.org.
Retrieved from http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/orgempdev/articles/pages/gapoutletrowe.aspx
Galbraith, S. (2012). Counting Hours at Work is so Yesterday. Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/sashagalbraith/2012/05/10/counting-hours-at-work-is-so-yesterday/
Miller, S. (2011). Study: Flexible Schedules Reduce Conflict, Lower Turnover. SHRM.Org. Retrieved from
http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/benefits/articles/pages/flexschedules.aspx
Overtime: Eligibility: Are employees working a compressed workweek and paid bi-weekly entitled to
overtime in the week they work over 40 hours? SHR: HR Q & A. Retrieved from
http://www.shrm.org/templatestools/hrqa/pages/cms_011787.aspx