Compressed Work Week: Redesign Your Job

Redesign Your Job into a Compressed Workweek Arrangement:
A Pre-Proposal Planning Exercise

All the work/life balance experts agree: The proven, most effective way to get approval of a compressed workweek is to make your request with a written proposal outlining the details of your redesigned work arrangement.

The planning steps below get you started. Print out this page and complete the crucial pre-proposal preparation so you can insert the custom portions of your proposal.

Ready? Start the steps.

Step 1. List the various work functions of your current position. Be thorough; use rich, detailed descriptions related to your job role. (This reminds your manager and others who may review your proposal how you are contributing to the organization.) Draw on your official job description and keep a work log to aid you.

Step 2. Carefully think through the specifics of each job function. Then assign each function a letter to correspond with the descriptions below:

A The job function could be enhanced by the extended workday schedule. Examples include extended hours of service; blocks of quiet, uninterrupted time before or after traditional work hours to perform tasks; improved access to tangible resources such as high-demand equipment.

B The job function is not time-responsive or critical on any particular day so not performing it until the day after your “off” day is inconsequential, e.g., budget preparation which has a reasonable deadline or routine data base maintenance duties.

C The job function requires your presence but is not done daily and so wouldn’t occur on your “off” day. Examples would be conducting a training or attending a weekly staff meeting.

D The job function needs some level of coverage on your “off” day. For those functions, devise a way for each to be handled. Also determine to what degree coverage is needed. Do you need a full replacement or just a back-up for unexpected situations? Will the back-up be in the form of an electronic link to you by pager, cell phone or e-mail, or will it be performed by someone else within or outside of your work group/department?

If another employee will perform the function, is it a good skills development opportunity for a staff person whose work you could check the following day? Could it be assigned to a coworker for whom you provide back-up on their “off” day of a compressed workweek?

Step 3. Sort and group the list of work functions by letter. Then insert your results into the format found below the introduction paragraph in the “B. Job Responsibilities” section of the Compressed Workweek Flex Success Proposal Template. <http://workoptions.com/flexsucc-cww.htm>

If you want to complete your proposal ASAP, order Compressed Workweek Flex Success Proposal Template. It could be on your computer in about six minutes from now, customized in about an hour, and ready to present to your manager by tomorrow.

“...consultant Pat Katepoo has thought of everything, put it into no-nonsense terminology and included an irresistible business case. Just fill in the blanks.” Susan Seitel, President, WFC Resources

Download Compressed Workweek Flex Success now: <http://flexsuccess.com/coac.html>