Flexible Work Arrangements: Types of Flexible Work Schedules
A. Flextime—Schedules that permit employees to choose their starting and quitting times within limits set by management. The flexible work periods are usually in the morning or late afternoon, and work around “core hours” when all employees must be present.
B. Compressed work week—A standard workweek compressed into fewer than five days (e.g. “4 10’s” –four days at ten hours; fifth day off).
C. Part-time work—regular working hours at a percentage of full time, with salary and benefits pro-rated. (Anyone at U-M working 50% or more is entitled to full medical insurance benefits.)
D. Telecommuting—Working at home or at satellite offices on a regular schedule. It is more common to work at home two or three days per week, with the remaining time in the office, although there are examples of employees who telecommute full time.
E. Job sharing—Two people voluntarily share the work of one full-time job, with salary and benefits pro-rated. (It does not need to be a 50-50 split; one person could agree to work 60% and the other, 40%). Note: any appointment under 50% is not eligible for University Benefits.
F. Voluntary Reduced Work Time—With the agreement of the supervisor, the employee may reduce his/her hours, with a corresponding reduction in compensation. Usually this is for a specific period of time (for example, when an employee returns to work after a maternity leave).
G. Phased Retirement—This is an option for older workers who are able to reduce their hours once they become eligible for retirement, to “phase in” their retirement on a specified timeline over the course of a few months or years.