Extreme Flex-Time.

We are nearing what looks like the tail end of a transit strike here. As a non-driver, I depend heavily on the bus system for my transportation needs, and its absence has left me much less independently mobile than I like. On the plus side, however, I have been able to work from home three of five days this week.

Working from home is fabulous - I end up being far more productive than I am in the office, and although I seem to work more hours (because I don’t have to spend so much time on commuting, making myself presentable, or even showering), those hours take a lot less out of me than a typical work day does. There is also something lovely about working hard on a complicated habeas brief while having sweet Shasta Cat stretched out under my computer monitor.

I love the interaction and idea-sharing part of being a lawyer, so I would not want to work in home-bound isolation all the time. But two or three days a week of telecommuting would, I think, be ideal. I am pretty sure I would produce more work, but I would be less stressed and generally happier. Particularly when I have a brief to focus on writing or an enormous record to read through, I could really use the uninterrupted time and the ability to work long hours without having to waste two of them on the commute. Alas, telecommuting is typically not an option in my office.

I almost always work more than 40 hours in a week, because the work must get done. But hours I spend at my desk after 5:00 p.m. don’t "count" for anything, while hours I must be away from my desk before 5:00 p.m. (for doctor’s appointments or personal obligations) come out of my own pocket (or leave balance). I find such an arrangement sometimes stifling and resentment-producing, rather than motivating and satisfying, but it is the nature of government work and is generally outweighed by the upsides of my job.

Still, I read somewhere recently that a few companies have adopted "Extreme Flex-Time" policies, under which employees work whenever and wherever they want, as long as they produce the expected result. These companies are finding that their workers put in longer hours than they did under traditional arrangements, but they also report significant improvement in morale, stress reduction, and overall job satisfaction.

This type of set-up would be ideal for me, with adjustments for filing deadlines and court appearances, of course. I expect a high level of quality from my own work product and I enjoy my work immensely, so the hours spent working are not themselves onerous. But I don't love the time I must devote to commuting, and I dislike the impact of both my commute and my fixed-hours workday on my ability to do the other things that I love.

What would your ideal work situation look like?

Comments

[Jeanne]

I would love to work flex time - I'm most productive in the morning, and evenings but afternoon = naptime in my brain. Since I am currently jobless it's not all that relevant, though. But maybe in 2.5 years when law school ends...

[jdz]

I would LOVE to have flex time! One of the things that I love about being a law student is that I have a lot of time in the middle of the day that I can use to do stuff I love. It just so happens that much of what I love requires daylight. I really don't mind working hard and would work late into the night if I had the ability to chose my own hours. I'd also probably work a little less each week day and sacrifice a weekend day to work - leaving a little more time everyday for the other things that are important to me! And I'd love to be able to work from home, and hang out with my dog. *sigh* maybe some day ...

[Tim Hadley]

I'd also like to be able to have the option of telecommuting a few days (or parts of days) a week. The technology exists to make this feasible, and my firm has most if not all of the technology it needs to do it. I think I'd get in trouble, though, mainly because those for whom I work want the ability to see me in person without any hassle. Most of our projects aren't handled by just one person, and showing up at least to some degree helps things get done. It's easier to talk in person about a marked-up draft document than it is to discuss it on the phone.

I think that in five years electronic collaboration technology will be so much improved that most of those concerns will have fallen away, but lawyers can be such slow adopters of technology I don't know when I'll get to enjoy the benefits of it.

[fred]

I want you so bady , I can not take it any longer