Three Way Stretch and Location Flexibility: Two Flexible work alternatives to Use in Businesses

What if work schedules spoke the language of emotions? We all have certain things in life which need more of our attention. But work does not let us go to them. This is not true in all cases though. Consider three-way stretch and location flexibility:

Three-way stretch

In this arrangement, employees are given a wide range of schedules to choose from and cross training, but at the same time they are required to do occasional direct site work. This happens to be the core employment rules of retail stores where managers are required to compromise with college going employees because of their unpredictable class schedules and exams. So in a way, these students benefit from it. They are able to have income while completing their degree.

Since malls and fast food places have gone ballistic, three-way stretch is now a tradition all across America. The disadvantage for employees, but good news for the manager is that job hours in such places are based on "peak time" and in many ways can be described as temporary.

If people suddenly decide to stay away from the business due to seasonal issues, one can be told to leave for the day or forever. Those who show extra effort are retained by the retail stores for years, hinting that these employees are being successful.

The disadvantage lies in the fact that three-way stretch flexibility cannot be offered to all employees, for this would compel the human resources department and manager to spend more time in creating schedules.

Location flexibility

Through this, the employee is allowed to work from home. Its another title is remote work. Many organizations such as Facebook, Dell, American Express and Aetna frequently use this arrangement. Small businesses which cannot afford leasing an office space can also find benefit from it. Location flexibility is dream come true for workers who have ride problem or like to stay at home.

Surprisingly, research shows that output from remote work is usually better because the employees give their best through it with the assumption that it is their only way to prove themselves to supervisors not directly overseeing them. But the organizations listed earlier are all tech savvy and this means that those who work through computers can be more successful at remote work. Despite having less money, small businesses do not always have the privilege to utilize the arrangement.

Government itself may limit the thing for them based on industry and typically due to safety concern.  Location flexibility has also gained bad reputation from scammers promising work at home jobs. This controversy makes it difficult for businesses to get their job ads taken seriously by job candidates.