Page 101 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

100 Part 1 • Introduction
the case anymore for a large segment of the work-
force. Employees are increasingly complaining
that the line between work and nonwork time has
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blurred, creating personal conflicts and stress.
Several factors have contributed to this blurring
between work and personal life. One is that in
a world of global business, work never ends. At
any time and on any day, for instance, thousands
of Caterpillar employees are working somewhere
in the company’s facilities. The need to consult
with colleagues or customers 8 or 10 time zones
away means that many employees of global com-
panies are “on call” 24 hours a day. Another
factor is that communication technology allows
employees to do their work at home, in their cars,
or on the beach in Tahiti. Although this capability
allows those in technical and professional jobs to
do their work anywhere and at any time, it also
Charles Trainor Jr./MCT/Newscom means there’s no escaping from work. Another
Employees at Citrix, a cloud computing factor is that as organizations have had to lay off
company that enables mobile work styles,
enjoy flexible work schedules that help them employees during the economic downturn, “surviving” employees find themselves work-
balance their work and home life. Citrix gives ing longer hours. It’s not unusual for employees to work more than 45 hours a week,
them the freedom to determine how, when, and some work more than 50. Finally, fewer families today have a single wage earner.
and where their work gets done and allows
them to use their own devices for working Today’s married employee is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it in-
at home or at the office, with Windows or creasingly difficult for married employees to find time to fulfill commitments to home,
Mac OS X. 58
spouse, children, parents, and friends.
More and more, employees recognize that work is squeezing out their personal lives, and
they’re not happy about it. Today’s progressive workplaces must accommodate the varied
needs of a diverse workforce. In response, many organizations are offering family-friendly
benefits: benefits that provide a wide range of scheduling options that allow employees more
flexibility at work, accommodating their need for work-life balance. They’ve introduced
programs such as on-site child care, summer day camps, flextime, job sharing, time off for
school functions, telecommuting, and part-time employment. Younger people, particularly,
put a higher priority on family and a lower priority on jobs and are looking for organizations
that give them more work flexibility. 59

CoNtINGeNt joBs. “Companies want a workforce they can switch on and off as
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needed.” Although this quote may shock you, the truth is that the labor force already has
begun shifting away from traditional full-time jobs toward a contingent workforce—part-
time, temporary, and contract workers who are available for hire on an as-needed basis. In
today’s economy, many organizations have responded by converting full-time permanent
jobs into contingent jobs. It’s predicted that by the end of the next decade the number of
contingent employees will have grown to about 40 percent of the workforce. (It’s at 30
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percent today.) In fact, one compensation and benefits expert says that “a growing a num-
ber of workers will need to structure their careers around this model,” which could likely
include you! 62
What are the implications for managers and organizations? Because contingent
employees are not “employees” in the traditional sense of the word, managing them has its
own set of challenges and expectations. Managers must recognize that because contingent
family-friendly benefits
Benefits that provide a wide range of scheduling workers lack the stability and security of permanent employees, they may not identify with
options and allow employees more flexibility at the organization or be as committed or motivated. Managers may need to treat contingent
work, accommodating their needs for work-life workers differently in terms of practices and policies. However, with good communication
balance
and leadership, an organization’s contingent employees can be just as valuable a resource to
contingent workforce an organization as permanent employees are. Today’s managers must recognize that it will be
Part-time, temporary, and contract workers who are their responsibility to motivate their entire workforce, full-time and contingent, and to build
available for hire on an as-needed basis
their commitment to doing good work!