How to Negotiate Better Work Hours

How to Negotiate Better Work HoursHow to Negotiate Better Work HoursHow to Negotiate Better Work HoursHigh gas prices, family responsibilities, nightmare commute. Whatever the reason, many people are longing for mora convenient work hours. And most employers will at least try to be flexible in hopes of retaining good, happy workers. So before you accept a job offer or even after youve settled in with a company, you can try to negotiate a change in work hours. The trick is to emphasize how your employer will benefit from the change, not how your life will be better.For instance, when I started my first full-time, professional job, I was commuting 30 minutes each way. That was a walk in the park for me. Then I decided to up and move to a neighboring state, increasing my commute by an extra 30+ minutes each way. Add traffic and construction and I was looking at an hour-and-a-half commute each way.That company also adhered to strict work hours, so when traffic began delaying my morning a rrival, I expressed my concerns about tardiness and managed to shift my 830 to 530 work hours to 730 to 430, in hopes of avoiding rush hour problems. My anfhrer was happy to oblige.NEGOTIATION MOTIVATIONThe key to successfully negotiating a change in work hours, I discovered, was to provide my boss with a list of ways the time shift would be good (or at least not bad) for the companys bottom line.Here are the three main reasons why you would seek mora convenient work hours, and how you can pitch any one of them to your bossGas PricesThis is a reason almost any employer can understand today. Your goal here is to eliminate a days commute, which will automatically cut your gas bill by one-fifth.Scheduling OptionsWork four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour daysTelecommute one or more days a weekAlso, part of the reason employers agree to these gas-saving perks is to keep their best and brightest workers from seeking positions closer to home (claims Challenger, Gray Christmas, Inc.).N ightmare CommuteIn my case, I was more concerned about arriving at work on time and decreasing traffic stress than I was about gas prices (this was over a year ago, when gas prices were only $3-something a gallon). The goal for this motivator is to eliminate the need to fight rush-hour traffic.Scheduling OptionsStarting earlier and finishing earlierStarting later and finishing laterFamily ResponsibilitiesFor some people its young children. For others, its aging parents. For many, its both. The time and money commitments of family care leave many workers stressed. If this is your primary motivator, your goal is to have more time to spend with family, and perhaps cut down on their paid care, as well.Scheduling OptionsWork late some days so you can leave early other daysCut back to part-time hours (if you can handle the financial loss)Compress your work week (four 10-hour days)Telecommute at least some of the time (e.g., the first few hours eachmorning)And here are some ideas for pitch ing these ideas to your boss so that the business benefits outshine your personal motives. Offer a detailed work schedule to track your commitments Identify what projects could benefit from a compressed work week Stress your availability by phone, chat, or email at home Emphasize that you will maintainproductivity andkeep distractions to a minimumBut keep in mind that working from home is not a substitute for child care. You still need to do your job and do it well (or youll be back to regular office hours in no time).INITIATE A TRIAL PERIODWhatever motive you have or approach you take, offer a trial period with your pitch. Try out the new schedule for about a month and meet with your boss afterward to see if its working out well - for both sides. As long as your boss has the freedom to reinstate normal hours if the alternative isnt working out, he or she should be more inclined to grant your wishes.I cant promise itll work on an uptight, micro-managing boss though. Youre on your ow n there.