The document discusses various alternative work arrangements like telecommuting, compressed work weeks, and flexible schedules, emphasizing their potential benefits for both employers and employees, including increased retention and improved job satisfaction. It identifies three main factors driving the shift towards these arrangements: worker expectations for flexibility, rising commuting costs, and economic challenges following the 2008-2009 recession. While alternative work arrangements have many advantages, they also present challenges that need addressing, and the document raises the question of whether the U.S. should mandate these practices by law.

1. Alternate Work Arrangements
Various alternative work arrangements exist for use in
businesses and other types of organizations; included among the
options are compressed work weeks, flexible work schedules,
telecommuting, and job sharing. This case focuses on
alternative work arrangements in general rather than on a
particular one exclusively; however, telecommuting does
receive additional attention.
The case revolves around the potential advantages and
disadvantages that are associated with alternative work
arrangements, and the factors that are contributing to an
increased use of various alternative work arrangements by
employers. With respect to the various advantages and
disadvantage that are identified in the case, the positives seem
to outweigh the negatives. “Organizations that offer flexible
working arrangements are, and will continue to be, employers of
choice. ¼ Employees consistently rank flexible schedules high
on their list of desired benefits; employers who are reluctant to
offer these popular perks will find themselves falling short in
the bidding wars for talent.” The case identifies three
underlying factors that are driving the movement toward the
increased utilization of alternative work arrangements in many
different workplaces. These factors are: (a) the needs, desires,
and expectations of workers for greater flexibility at work; (b)
fuel costs and fuel consumption associated with commuting, and
the related carbon footprint impact; and (c) the restrictive
impact of the 2008-2009 economic recession on job
opportunities.
The case concludes by pointing out that many nations have
experimented successfully with various flexible work programs
and some countries have enacted legislation promoting
alternative work arrangements. It then poses the question: “Will
the United States government and American businesses be
adequately prepared to meet future economic challenges, at
least in part, by embracing the movement toward increasing use

2. of alternative work arrangements?”
Case Study - Alternative Work Arrangements: Possible
Solution
s for a Plethora of Problems?
Alternative work arrangements, such as compressed work
weeks, flexible work schedules, telecommuting, or job sharing,
can have positive and negative consequences for employers and
employees. In general, alternative work arrangements can
generate beneficial outcomes, particularly for employers, such
as “increased employee retention, loyalty and morale; higher
productivity; improved recruiting of highly qualified workers;
decreased employee tardiness and unscheduled absences; and
maximum use of facilities and equipment.” On the employees’
side, telecommuting—one type of alternative work
arrangement—has favorable effects on perceived autonomy, the
resolution of work–family conflicts, job performance, job
satisfaction, and the experience of stress. What is more, it does
not harm perceived career prospects or the quality of workplace
relationships. On the downside, however, are the challenges
associated with making these programs work for both employer
and employees: handling issues regarding employee training,
work monitoring, and performance evaluation; maintaining lines
of communication with bosses and coworkers; and changing the

3. attitudes of managers who might be uncomfortable with
anything other than traditional working arrangements.
On balance the positives seem to outweigh the negatives.
“Organizations that offer flexible working arrangements are,
and will continue to be, employers of choice.¼ Employees
consistently rank flexible schedules high on their list of desired
benefits; employers who are reluctant to offer these popular
perks will find themselves falling short in the bidding wars for
talent.”
Although alternative work arrangements can be highly
beneficial for both employers and employees, we need to ask
the question: “What seems to be the underlying factors that are
driving the movement toward the increased utilization of
alternative work arrangements in many different workplaces?”
One factor reflects the needs and desires of workers. “Many
people today are seeking flexibility at work. Parents ¼ may
want more time for family. Students hope to fit employment
into a busy class schedule. And some people look for work after
retirement. Whatever their situation, they’re not alone in
wanting a job that’s a better match for their lives.”
Younger workers and those nearing retirement age are two
particular segments of the workforce that can be meaningfully
targeted by employers offering various alternative work
arrangements. Younger workers are entering the workforce with
different expectations than previous generations of workers.

4. Whereas their parents were work-centric, most members of
Generations X and Y give priority to their personal lives; or at
the very least they desire to balance their work lives and
personal lives. Sharif Khan, vice-president of human resources
at Microsoft Canada, says, “Gen X and Gen Y are coming into
the workplace with the expectation that they’re going to be
treated as individuals, [who] ¼ want to be able to fit their life
and their work together comfortably, as opposed to focusing on
work and dealing with life after the fact.”
Another important demographic group in the workforce consists
of those individuals nearing retirement. “Baby Boomers are
reaching retirement age. While many Boomers may choose to
stretch their retirement date based on some combination of
lifestyle choice and recent market developments, many are
opting for less-demanding positions or reduced workloads.” “By
2020, 16 percent of the U.S. population will be age 65 and over,
up from 12 percent in 1999. ¼ Yet leaders of many
organizations ignore aging workforce issues despite the
potential problems they see coming, and some damage seems
likely to occur before the issues receive appropriate attention.”
“[T]he size of the Baby Boomer demographic group exceeds
current graduating classes, and replacing their experience will
be a challenge for most firms.”
Increasingly, business and governmental organizations are
adopting alternative work arrangements for economic reasons.

5. For example, a May 2008 poll conducted by the Society for
Human Resource Management indicated that 18 percent of
responding organizations offered telecommuting in order to help
employees with rising fuel costs. Four months later, with fuel
prices continuing to soar, the percentage of organizations
offering the telecommuting option had risen to 40 percent. In
October 2008, when gasoline prices were peaking, Ann Bednarz,
writing in Network World, reported that “[g]as shortages in the
Southeast United States are prompting companies to consider
expanding their telework programs so employees can conserve
fuel. Other options workers are weighing include greater use of
carpools and public transit, along with alternative scheduling
arrangements such as four-day work weeks.”
In addition to the dramatic increase in fuel costs in the summer
and autumn of 2008, concerns about global warming and long
commutes have fostered interest in alternative arrangements.
Moreover, two recession-related factors could lead more
employees to seek out long-distance telecommuting options for
at least part of their time on the job. First, the slow housing
market limits people’s ability to move to new jobs.
Consequently, rather than physically commuting a long distance
for a new job, part-time, long-distance telecommuting could be
an option. Second, the weak job market that has been caused by
the recession appears to be increasing the number of commuter
marriages wherein the spouses work in different cities. Here

6. too, part-time, long-distance telecommuting might be a viable
option.
Many nations have experimented successfully with various
flexible work programs; and indeed, some countries have
enacted laws to make alternative work arrangements more
accessible to employees. Although the United States has not
enacted such legislation, the demographic and economic
changes that are occurring may result in alternative work
arrangements laws that “could play an important role in
preparing the U.S. economy for the future.”
Will the U.S. government and American businesses be
adequately prepared to meet future economic challenges, at
least in part, by embracing the movement toward increasing use
of alternative work arrangements?
This case was written by Michael K. McCuddy, The Louis S.
and Mary L. Morgal Chair of Christian Business Ethics and
Professor of Management, College of Business Administration,
Valparaiso University.
In your paper discuss the following questions with concepts
from the course:
How can employees benefit from alternative work
arrangements? Why?
What are some of the possible negative outcomes for employers
and/or employees regarding alternative work arrangements?
Please explain your answer.

7. What types of factors are influencing organizations to consider
using alternative work arrangements? Explain how alternative
work arrangements can address the problems/issues that are
raised by these factors.
Should the availability of alternative work arrangements to
employees in the United States be mandated by law? Why or
why not?
The requirements below must be met for your paper to be
accepted and graded:
Write between 750 – 1,250 words (approximately 3 – 5 pages)
using Microsoft Word in APA style, see example below.
Use font size 12 and 1” margins.
Include cover page and reference page.
At least 80% of your paper must be original content/writing.
No more than 20% of your content/information may come from
references.
Use at least three references from outside the course material,
one reference must be from EBSCOhost. Text book, lectures,
and other materials in the course may be used, but are not
counted toward the three reference requirement.
Cite all reference material (data, dates, graphs, quotes,
paraphrased words, values, etc.) in the paper and list on a
reference page in APA style.
References must come from sources such as, scholarly journals
found in EBSCOhost, CNN, online newspapers such as, The

8. Wall Street Journal, government websites, etc. Sources such as,
Wikis, Yahoo Answers, eHow, blogs, etc. are not acceptable for
academic writing.
A detailed explanation of how to cite a source using APA can be
found here (
link
).
Download an example
here.