A full time job is the norm for most workers—and may always be—but some employees don't want or can't sustain that many hours in a given work week. Whether they're concerned about child care, elder care, or a host of other issues, these workers are seeking a compromise with corporations.

Furthermore, the American Chemical Society's latest salary and employment survey shows that the median age of the Society's membership has risen from 41 in 1990 to 45 today; chemists in academia have a median age of 48, and those in government 50. HR may soon see retirement-age baby boomers with both declining physical stamina and a disinterest in working full time begin to seek accommodation for their changing lifestyles.

Though work hour flexibility can sometimes pose a challenge for HR to manage, most companies don't want to lose experienced workers just because they desire fewer hours. HR can turn this challenge into a win-win for the company and employee by finding ways to help workers find the balance they want without overburdening supervisors or administrative systems.

Alternative Schedules

Part-time work and job sharing are obvious alternatives to full time schedules. Though part-time work is not always voluntary or desirable for employees, reduced hours can sometimes act as an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), or assist a valued employee with a Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) situation. HR should also keep in mind that a portion of the workforce may welcome part-time opportunities. Women have generally had the most desire for part-time employment, and work part-time at nearly twice the rate of men (5.1% vs. 2.3%), according to ACS's 2002 employment figures.

"Most of our part-time employees are hired for full time work," says Diane Kamyk, manager of Diversity & Work/Life at Bayer Corporation. "We don't really hire for part-time. But as personal situations change—childbirth, education goals, and so on—employees may ask for part-time." Kamyk adds that as employees' personal situations change again, they may ask to go back to full time work.

Many employees don't want part-time employment, accepting it only as a stop-gap measure in a depressed economy or as an option to a layoff. Job sharing, on the other hand, is almost always voluntary. Though figures are not available, anecdotal evidence suggests that employees almost invariably initiate job sharing. Selling the idea to managers can be tough, however.

Educate Managers About Job Sharing

"Managers feel they go out on a limb with job sharing," says Kathy Tenenbaum, a partner in Merrick, NY-based Job Sharing Resources. "They may fear an administrative burden, or worry that if one set of employees job share, everyone will want to."

Most fears are unjustified, say Tenenbaum, Kamyk and others. "First of all, most employees can't take the 50 percent pay cut that job sharing usually entails," says Tenenbaum. "There is no line at the manager's door."

The additional administrative burden also tends to be minimal. "There is a requirement for two performance appraisals, but other burdens are mostly perception," says Kamyk.

Concerns about finding an appropriate partner, managing the workload, deciding how to cover for the absent partner, and coordinating vacations are usually worked out between employees before they ever approach management. "HR will put out feelers, for instance, but ultimately the employee comes up with the business case," says Kamyk.

She adds that Bayer's job sharing program is open to all employees, but eligibility depends more on function. "We have a range of jobs-financial, chemists, engineers and so on that are eligible for the program-but the decision to go ahead with a job share is based on the discretion of the manager," Kamyk explains. "That person has to determine whether or not job sharing will impact productivity or gains for the department."

Make The Program Work

Motivated employees who hook up to job share are usually committed to making the situation work, but they must still have a solid plan in place. "It's important that the partners are compatible," says Andrea, an employee who returned to full-time work in November after a brief job share. "The partners must communicate constantly and be able to address problems they might have with each other or the way the work breaks down."

Even good employees may not have the skills required to keep up their end of a job share, cautions Tenenbaum. She advises managers to review employee skill sets that can impact their ability to successfully work in such a program. "Don't fall in love with the person-scrutinize their ability," she says.

The following are suggested discussion points for managers that Tenenbaum and other job share consultants believe will prevent missteps:

For the most part, good job share partners will sit down and talk about any problems that arise, says Tenenbaum. "If you have the right people in place—dedicated to their careers and who want to do a good job—they will nip problems in the bud."

And though managers may be a little uneasy about allowing a job share, experts say that, in reality, most of the downside falls on the worker. If a job share partner quits or decides to go back to full time, the other employee might have to scramble for another partner or find herself out of work. Some companies may pro-rate vacation and benefits, but employers tend to call the shots when it comes to accommodating job shares.

As always, written policies will prevent misunderstandings and ambiguities, and help employees understand what to expect and the risks they take if they choose to work reduced hours. Be sure to make responsibilities clear: who will find job share partners, who will design the schedule, how the company will respond with benefits, what happens if one partner quits, and so on. Don't forget to include procedures for performance reports, bonuses, raises and promotions, as well as discipline.

What's In It For HR?

Tenenbaum says that job sharing doesn't seem to be on the rise, and that overall, companies are not being as generous with alternative work arrangements as they have been in the past. "But as things improve, they will have to be able to accommodate employees who might want to use alternative schedules—especially with their best employees."

"We have talent and we don't want to lose it," says Kamyk. "That's why we have flexible options like part-time work and job sharing." She adds that part-time work in particular allows working mothers to keep their work skills up-to-date while their children are growing.

Additionally, Bayer gets "an increased diversity of thought and intellectual capital in one job through job sharing," says Kamyk. "We also benefit in terms of productivity and lost workdays-people who job share almost never miss work."

Tenenbaum agrees that this is an important benefit for companies. "You get two sets of skills to one position, and you always get 110 percent," she says. "Full time workers take time out for personal stuff, but job sharers have already resolved the kinds of situations that take away from job focus."

"And," Tenenbaum adds, "they're so very happy-they will go above and beyond requirements."