Menu:
Alternative Work Arrangements: Exploring Your Options and Making It Work
by Susan Silver
Part-time work, leaves of absence, flex time, job sharing, telecommuting. These are the new work buzzwords. What do these terms mean, and can these types of arrangements work in libraries?
Why alternative work arrangements?
There are many reasons librarians may want or need an alternative work arrangement. Raising children, caring for an aging family member, or pursuing an education are just a few. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that in 2002, 23.8 percent of employed persons in the U.S. worked part-time. BLS also reported that 19.8 million persons did some work at home as part of their job, and 29 million full-time workers reported that they had flexible work schedules - double the number reported ten years earlier. Clearly, alternative work arrangements are a growing trend.
As an academic librarian, I have renegotiated my work arrangement several times. I have worked part-time, had a flextime schedule, taken two leaves of absence and currently telecommute several hours each week. Several years ago, I attended a panel presentation on work/life balance at an ALA conference. The panelists discussed their "family friendly" situations, which included telecommuting and flextime. It was exciting to hear about all these wonderful arrangements, yet my enthusiasm was curbed when, during the discussion period, some librarians in the audience recounted personal experiences of being turned down when they proposed an alternative work arrangement. Some who did successfully arrange an alternative work schedule were treated as pariahs by their coworkers, who felt that they were given preferential treatment. I left the meeting with mixed emotions. Why can some librarians successfully negotiate alternative work schedules while others cannot? Why are some supervisors and co-workers resistant?
While there is certainly much written on this topic in the business literature, surprisingly, there seems to be little written in the library literature about these arrangements and how they might work in libraries.
What are the options?
- Part-time work. Many libraries are open evenings and weekends and
hire librarians to work on a part-time basis to cover operating
hours. Part-time librarians are generally paid less on a pro-rated
basis than their full-time counterparts and often are not eligible
for benefits, such as health insurance and vacation time. Despite
these drawbacks, part-time work is highly desirable for many
librarians who do not wish to work full time.
- Flexible scheduling. Flexible scheduling or flextime usually
involves some kind of alternative work schedule that falls outside
of core work hours. It may involve longer workdays but fewer days
worked per week, or scheduled hours outside of a normal 9-5 workday.
For example, a flextime schedule might include evening or weekend
hours with time off during the week.
- Telecommuting. In recent years, telecommuting has become a much
more viable option for librarians. Given technological advances,
work normally done in offices, such as report writing, cataloging,
creating user aids, designing web pages, and even virtual reference
assistance, can easily be done from a well-equipped home office with
a PC and Internet access. Tasks that require software can be done if
the library or librarian is willing to purchase the software for a
home computer. In some libraries, virtual private networking is
available, so personal files from the librarian's work PC can be
accessed from outside the network.
- Job sharing. This normally involves two colleagues dividing their
responsibilities, workload, workweek, pay and benefits evenly to
perform as a single employee. This is probably the most difficult
arrangement to negotiate, as there must be two librarians at an
equal level in rank and pay, who are able to do the same job and
have compatible schedules.
- Leaves of absence. This is an arrangement where, for a negotiated period of time, usually weeks or months, the librarian will not be working at all. Most leaves of absence are unpaid. Leaves of absence are quite common in most workplaces, and personnel departments generally outline policies and procedures for them.
Beginning the process
Any successful negotiation starts with good planning. Many libraries have no policy, procedure, or precedent for alternative work arrangements. Your first step is to do some research and find out what the procedures and guidelines are, or if they even exist. If possible, your planning should involve drafting a formal or informal proposal. Here are some things to think about as you begin the process.
Know what you want before you ask. Don't go your supervisor and say "I'd like to talk about changing my situation," and then expect your supervisor to offer up alternatives. Have a clear idea of what you want. If you are interested in flexible scheduling, state that.
Details, details, details. Have a clear, articulated plan for how you will get your work done, and, if necessary, offer to be accountable at a higher level than if you were working on-site. If you are proposing telecommuting, offer to document your telecommuting time. Explain your home office setup as part of the proposal. Include a defined time period and a date on which you and your supervisor will revisit the plan.
Positive presentation. Present your plan as a win/win for both you and your library. Explain the benefits to both the library and to you personally.
Be flexible as possible. Demonstrate your flexibility by offering to come in during hours you are not working for important occasions. Stay connected to what is happening at work by checking e-mail from home. Attend staff meetings if possible, and, if the technology is available, attend meetings via conference call.
Prepare for some backlash from co-workers. Some coworkers will interpret any form of alternative work arrangement as special treatment. They may complain they are taking up the slack for you. Be firm that you are doing this with the library's approval. Encourage others to also take advantage of the same opportunity. Participate in the social life of your library, even if it means coming to work during your day off or after hours. Show appreciation to both your coworkers and your supervisor.
Library managers need to recognize that the rewards for offering flexible working arrangements will be more productive, loyal employees. By taking advantage of these opportunities, librarians will be able to achieve a greater level of work/life balance.
Susan Silver is an Associate University Librarian at the University of South Florida Tampa Library. She can be reached at ssilver@lib.usf.edu.