How to Make Flexible Work Schedules a Reality
A new study makes the case for burning down the 9-to-5.
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The flexible work schedule is the unicorn of work-life balance.
Surveys have found that more than half of employers offer some sort of flexible work arrangement, from telecommuting to flex time. But many of the employees that take advantage of that flexibility say they're made to feel like slackers. An Ernst & Young survey concluded that one in 10 workers in the U.S. have "suffered a negative consequence as a result of having a flexible work schedule." There's a perception that time spent in the office correlates with dependability and responsibility, studies have determined. Because of the stigma, participation rates for these flexible schemes are low—around 12 percent, according to a study issued late in 2015.