Last week, I heard from a state government employee who told me his current job provides him with “much flexibility and work life balance.”

Josiah* said he works an average of 35 hours a week, plus he can flex his hours as needed to meet family needs that come up. Oh, and he makes more than $125,000 a year.

All that’s the good news.

The bad news? Impending state-mandated furloughs along with 12% across-the-board pay cuts. It’s a salary slashing Josiah says he can’t absorb, forcing him to respond to an opening for another higher-paying job. A job where the culture is far from flexible.

Josiah came to me with his dilemma: ”I’m devastated about the pay cut, but even more scared of the prospect of going to a new job where I no longer have the flexible schedule I currently have.”

You can sense how important job flexibility is to him, but the salary reduction is driving him away from a satisfying job within a flexible work culture. Can you see his options? Does he have any?

Josiah didn’t come to me for budgeting advice; his complimentary consultation focused on specific strategies for negotiating flexibility during his upcoming job interview, because that’s what he asked for.

Yet I wondered (silently) if there were lifestyle adjustments he’d be willing to make that would allow him to keep the flexible job he already had.

If his annual salary was $30,000, I wouldn’t give this much thought. But at $125,000+ a year, could there be places to trim expenses and make material trade-offs for time freedom? It’s something I’d be willing to explore with him if he wanted to go down that path.

It’s Not How Much You Earn…

But I know nothing about Josiah’s life circumstances and financial situation otherwise, and I’m not here to judge his choices. Rather, I want to make a point about the broader subject of income and spending: living within your means gives you wider work options. You may have heard it before: it’s not how much you earn; it’s how much you spend.

Yes, I realize that the “American way” promotes the opposite with excess consumption and a lifestyle of consumer debt. So forging a different path, i.e., spending less than you make, takes courage and discipline. But when life’s realities take an unexpected shift, you’ll have a financial cushion that gives you the flexibility for dealing with them.

• Want a reduced workweek to help care for your grandchild or elderly parent?
• Wishing for a reduced workday to pick up your kids after school or to attend MBA classes?
• Need flextime to go to the gym or your health care appointments?
• Want to job share so you can plan a short-term sabbatical and still have work coverage?

Whatever the reasons for wanting more control of your time, with prudent budget practices in place, you’ll have more liberty to make self-directed decisions about your work-life choices, instead of being forced into them.

Is This an Area of Struggle for You?

Who hasn’t been making financial adjustments and sacrifices since the Great Recession? It’s been a bumpy road for almost everyone.

Here are a few recommended resources to make money issues more manageable:

Being Minimalist – I like Joshua Becker’s “regular guy” story of how he and his young family learned to live with less stuff and enjoy life more.

Debt-Proof Living - long before a roster of top personal finance bloggers surfaced, Mary Hunt was teaching people how to conquer consumer debt.

Crown Financial Ministries – This long-standing organization has loads of practical resources for wise, biblically-based management of personal finances, career, business and even your marriage.

Don’t let finances foil your flexibility options. Build a budget—and a lifestyle— that fosters time freedom and choices.

*Name changed and identifying details omitted to retain privacy.

Workplace flexibility and effectiveness are the focus of the tips and tools offered by the When Work Works project.

Ready for download: their new (April 2012) graphic brochure that quickly delivers a way for senior managers to “get” the value of having a flexible work culture throughout the organization.

Flex at a Glance is packed with the business case for flexibility. Major content contribution comes from the cutting edge team at Life Meets Work. It’s a fast way to convey the importance and bottom-line metrics of workplace flexibility for both the employer and employee.

If your employer doesn’t yet offer much in the way of flexible work, you could use Flex at a Glance to start an initiative.

If that’s too ambitious for you, or if your employer is moving too slowly for your needs, use a Flexible Work Proposal to make your individual request for a flexible work arrangement. To bolster your case in a crash-course graphic way, append the Flex at a Glance brochure.

Dear Pat: I work full-time as an escrow officer for a title insurance company. The demands of my job and the commute leave me little time for my husband and two pre-school kids. I’m about to propose a three-day workweek to my manager. Should I mention “family” as the reason I want a more flexible work schedule? If not, what do I say if she asks about my reasons? ~ Overwhelmed in Ohio

Dear Overwhelmed: My email folders are filled with story after story from working moms and their work-family conflict. There’s no hiding it; the motivation behind most parents’ request for flexible work is wanting more time for their families. (This was also my motivation for starting WorkOptions in 1993. Since then, men are more readily admitting they want flexible work, too.)

For many parents, part-time arrangements, which include job sharing, make juggling career and family more manageable. So your motivation is valid, but don’t get personal, and don’t mention “family.”

Instead, your proposal must be an objective business presentation written with the employer’s perspective in mind. In other words, you must appeal to the interests of your manager and the bottom-line concerns of your employer even though your interests are closer to heart and home. (This approach applies to anyone making the request, parent or not, and whatever the reason for wanting reduced hours.)

Here’s the strategy to use: Bypass the “reason why” issue related to your flexible work request; the merits or the approval of your proposal should not hinge on the why—for you or anyone else. Cut straight to answering the question most likely to arise in your manager’s mind: “Exactly how will your work get done under the new schedule?”

Focus on your job responsibilities. Determine which core tasks you’ll retain in your three-day workweek. Outline how certain functions could be delegated to a junior employee for her career development.

Suggest how other job functions might be shifted to another department, modified or out-sourced. Are there some that could even be eliminated?

Outline how—or if—you can be reached on your days off. If you decide to be accessible by cell phone, for example, will you be available routinely or for emergencies only? (Hint: be sure “emergency” is well-defined.)

Your proposal needs to include the bottom-line spin: Working part-time is a cost-saving way for your manager to retain your training and experience as you increase your on-the-job concentration and energy.

If your manager asks why you want to a reduced workweek, be prepared with an unwavering answer. Here’s a scripted reply from the Part-time Proposal Package you can use: “I really like my professional role here; I am dedicated to my work, to [employer name], and I want to stay. I also have outside responsibilities that require my attention. Having more flexibility with my schedule for is a workable solution to meet [employer name] and individual needs. Shall we give it a fair trial so I can demonstrate the pay-offs for both of us?”

Notice the soft term of “family” was implied but not mentioned outright. Though our families rank tops in our hearts and minds, by keeping the personal issues out of your business proposition—which is how you should view your request for a flexible work arrangement—you are more likely to get it approved.

For your submitting your question, I’m sending you a complimentary copy of the Part-time Proposal Package.

Got a question about negotiating flexible work or time off? Please ask me.

Dear Pat: My manager has agreed to my recent request to work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On the other days, I’ll work at the corporate office, maintaining my usual full-time schedule. I’m thrilled to get the go-ahead but he’s suggesting a 10% pay cut as part of my telework deal. Is that customary? ~ Confounded Courtney

Dear Courtney: In a word, no.

The fact is, many people have responded to surveys saying they would be willing to give up some pay in order to telework or have other flexible work arrangements. It’s a reflection of how much time flexibility is coveted. But in actual practice, there’s no reason to make that concession unless you’re combining telecommuting with a shortened workweek or workday, i.e., fewer hours.

So be on guard: while you’re in that “thrilled” and grateful zone, you’re also in a vulnerable position to compromise your pay. Reset your thinking and resist the suggestion. Be aware that your manager’s suggestion may come from an outdated and misguided mindset that telework is an accommodation or employee perk.

Two Ways to Counter the Concession Suggestion

What can you do? Here are two tactics to use as needed.

1. Disregard the suggestion. Your boss may be throwing you some conditional bait to reel in departmental benefits (salary savings) as part of the negotiations. Don’t take it. He’ll likely drop the issue.

2. If he doesn’t drop it, be prepared ahead of time. Put the proposed arrangement in writing. (This is the best approach when first making the request, in any case.) In addition to sections on schedule, job responsibilities, physical set-up and equipment, communication, and evaluation, insert a section on compensation and benefits with this one, matter-of-fact line:

“As my full-time work status will remain unchanged, compensation and benefits coverage will not be affected.”

Then, as the two of you address the specifics of your proposed arrangement, he’ll either agree with the plain logic presented and move on, or be forced to justify a pay cut for work that you’re doing which remains unchanged except for the location in which it gets done.

If he does the latter, call him on it. In a diplomatic way, of course. If the discussion escalates, reinforce your position with a presentation of the well-documented employer benefits of telecommuting. Put special emphasis on the double-digit productivity gains that are typical of remote workers stemming from fewer interruptions. (How about that: working from home should position you for a pay raise instead!)

With this approach, you make it clear that telework is not an employee perk, but rather a savvy business strategy that has measurable employer benefits. That reality, along with the other reasons presented, makes a pay cut for telecommuting a crazy concession.

Need advice on negotiating flexible work or time off? Send me your question.

Dear Pat: My husband and I have been on an adoption waiting list for nearly a year and it looks like a baby will be available for us within seven months. This will be our first child after trying to get pregnant for nearly four years; I want to spend as much time with my baby as possible.

Since I plan to take the full 12 weeks of family leave allowed under FMLA, how much notice should I give my boss about the adoption situation? When do I tell him? Also, I’d like to return to work on a reduced schedule. Should I request that when I tell him I’m preparing to adopt or wait until I’m on family leave? Please advise. ~ Rhena

Dear Rhena: Without a firm “delivery” date, the timing issue is tricky. Do your best to estimate a likely time frame when you’ll be bringing home your new baby. Then plan to tell him two to three months before that.

The exception to this guideline would be if some of your coworkers already know about your situation and you think word might get to your boss sooner through the office grapevine. It’s best if your boss gets the news from you first.

In either case, be flexible and ready with a game plan. Be the consummate professional who is prepared with a detailed maternity/family leave plan which includes your suggestions for work coverage during your absence.

Develop this plan now; you want to be ready on short notice in case word leaks out about your being on the waiting list or if the adoption opportunity comes up more sooner than you anticipated.

As to your other question, deciding whether to propose the part-time hours plan before, during or after your family leave is a judgement call. The nature of your work and the impact of your absence (because of specialized talents, established client relationships, staffing issues, etc.) are considerations.

In other words, your decision about timing might depend on how well you think things will go (or won’t go) without you; it may be that during your absence your boss develops a heightened appreciation of your value as an employee and thus be more willing to support your reduced hours request if that means you’ll stay with the job instead of quitting. Under these conditions, your proposal for part-time might be well-received during your family leave.

An alternate approach takes advantage of a little-known provision of FMLA that allows you to return to work on a reduced leave schedule.

This phased-back return to work can be presented professionally, positively and as a “package plan” wherein your full-time family leave would be only eight or 10 weeks instead of the allowed twelve, and the remaining leave hours would be used in a reduced workweek fashion. Those weeks of transition period then act as a trial period for a long-term plan of reduced workweek hours.

Along with these suggestions, carefully assess your job, the office politics and personalities, your options and priorities to help you determine the best time frame to present your family leave and part-time schedule plans.

If you decide to make the request for a flexible work arrangement during your family leave, again be ready with detailed proposal and plan.

Admit it: your daily commute to and from work is stealing precious hours from you and your family.

Countless. Irretrievable. Hours.

Are you ready for a change?

Now that you know how to counter the three reasons you’re still not telecommuting, it’s time to take steps to prepare your pitch.

“Exactly how will your job get done in a telecommuting arrangement?”

That’s the king-sized question on your manager’s mind which you must address as you complete your proposal to telecommute (aka telework).

If your manager puts a premium on face time, first make it clear that your (initial) remote working arrangement is for one or two, maybe three, days a week, not five.

Beyond that, you need to clearly outline how your work will get done under your new telework arrangement. The pre-proposal preparation exercise below describes the simple steps for redesigning your job to telecommute.

It also serves as a showcase of your responsibilities and accomplishments which will remind your manager and others who might review your proposal how you are contributing to the organization.

This showcase listing will positively influence their decision if they wisely consider employee retention. So use rich, job-specific descriptions related to your role to highlight your critical contributions. Don’t skimp on the details.

The results of this exercise will help you complete the “B. Job Responsibilities” section of your Telecommuting Proposal Template.

How to Redesign Your Job to Work from Home (or Anywhere Else)

Step 1. List the various work functions of your current position. Use your job description and keep a work log to aid you in this step.

Step 2. Carefully think through the specifics of each job function. Then label each function with the letter corresponding to the selections below.

A: This function must be performed at the main office or other employer setting

B: This function can be done at my home office or other remote location (Ask yourself: which parts of my job are portable?)

C: This function can be done at either location or “blended” to be done at both

Step 3. Insert your results under the corresponding headings in the Telecommuting Proposal Template section labeled B. Job Responsibilities, as follows:

B. Job Responsibilities

Under the proposed arrangement, all aspects of my position are maintained [optional: with an expected increase in productivity typical of the uninterrupted workflow of off-site work settings].

Below I’ve listed my main job responsibilities and tasks with explanations on how each one will be handled within a telecommuting environment.

MAIN OFFICE

[List the job functions under letter A]

REMOTE/HOME OFFICE 

[List the job functions under letter B]

EITHER OFFICE (optional)

[List the job functions under letter C]

Then continue with more details in the remaining sections of the proposal, that is, Communication, Collaboration, Physical Set-up, Employer Benefits, and so forth, as listed in the proposal template of the Telecommuting Proposal Package.

Be Other-Oriented

Think through how your off-site arrangement will impact the work and workload of others in the office (besides, of course, your manager) and how you’ll garner their support. You’ll need to meet with some of them to get their input, identify possible problems that might arise with your arrangement, and to work through mutually-agreeable solutions or adjustments.

Why Not You?

Millions of other professionals are working remotely part of each week. Why not you? Start by redesigning your job to do parts of it from home.

Comment below now: If you worked from home two days a week, how many hours would you recapture weekly and how would you use them? 

Where do I send people who ask me how to find legitimate work-from-home jobs?

In the early days of my business (WorkOptions has been online since 1997), I didn’t have a confident answer for this common query. Plus any information I did dispense came with caveats.

Not anymore. FlexJobs is a premium flexible job listing service that has set itself apart for reasons you’ll read about shortly. First I’ll mention that this is not a sponsored article, although I am an affiliate of FlexJobs because I highly recommend what they have to offer.

FlexJobs CEO Sara Sutton Fell and I first “met” at length by telephone in 2009. That was a couple of years after she started the company in response to her own desire for job flexibility as a way to blend a professional career with home life. (She and her husband have two young boys.)

I appreciated her vision and passion for the much-needed service she was growing. Since then, I’ve watched FlexJobs flourish into a premium job board, listing multiple thousands of wide-ranging legitimate flexible jobs for professionals.

Recently, we spoke again so that I could ask Sara some questions that would make you, my readers, more aware of what FlexJobs has to offer.

Pat: Your home page labels FlexJobs as an “innovative” job service. In what ways is it innovative and different from other job boards?

Sara: “We hang our hat on three key points: One, every single job has flexibility, either telecommuting, part-time, flextime or freelance. Two, every single job is hand-screened. There’s no junk. It’s a very clean job listing data base. Three, we have more professional career-oriented job listings.”

Pat: I also like that FlexJobs has no ads, another “clean” characteristic.

Sara: Right. People perceive [other] job boards as free, but nothing is free; there is so much junk mixed in on the job boards, and so many more ads than before.

Pat: Whereas ad-free FlexJobs is membership-based, with a modest fee to access the job listings. Do people challenge having to pay? 

Sara: Yes, some think job seekers don’t have to pay. But I see that as a double standard; they pay for resumes and career counseling. FlexJobs is a premium service where job seekers are investing in their career by getting qualified job leaders faster. [To clarify], job seekers should not have to pay to get a job. With FlexJobs, members are paying for a premium job screening and listing service, not paying for a job or to find them a job. We’d have to charge a whole lot more if we were a job-finding service!

Pat: As I write this, FlexJobs is currently listing 8,763 jobs. How do you get such an impressive number and variety of professional job postings on the site? 

Sara: We have a team of online job researchers who search the web daily for openings, for the collective equivalent of 50+ hours a day, combing through the junk to find the legitimate job openings.

Pat: How do they know that the jobs they find are legitimate?

Sara: They research every employer and hand-screen every single job [that's found]. And every company description we have on the FlexJobs site is hand-written [based on the research], not scraped from their company website.

Pat: I understand more and more well-recognized employers are now coming to FlexJobs directly to post their openings.

Sara: Yes, most notably, in healthcare. That’s been the biggest category for us in 9 out of the last 12 months.

Pat: FlexJobs’ listings extends beyond telecommuting jobs to part-time and other types of flex. Yet the interest in working remotely remains high. How plentiful are those types of jobs?

Sara:  About 40% of the listings on FlexJobs offer some kind of telecommuting; 15% of all the jobs [listed] are ‘anywhere jobs,’ meaning that they require no specific location. [With others], some employers will say it’s a telecommuting job because the employee gets to work from home, but they’ll still have geographic requirements because they want employees to come in for meetings or training. Sometimes it’s for tax reasons.

Pat: Job seekers are advised that networking is the number one way to find a new job. Blogging and social media are also tools for landing leads and jobs. Where does FlexJobs fit into the mix of job-seeking tactics?

Sara: It’s a step in the process. And it alleviates the pain point in the job search process: the faster you can find the job opening, the faster you can apply and be at the top of pile. And then you can use your Linkedin and other social media networks to see if any of your connections are associated with the hiring company or the hiring manager.

Pat: What are some of the trends you’re seeing in flexible jobs?

Sara: Mainly the depth and variety of so many more types of companies offering flexible work: big, small, start-up, and a variety industries, especially, as I mentioned, healthcare employers.

Pat: What advice do you have for the person seeking a flexible job on FlexJobs?

Sara: To consider all kinds of flexibility before you apply. Think it through. You may have a set idea of what would work best for you–for example, only telecommuting, or only part-time–but there are lots of shades of gray. Keep your mind open to other types of flexibility in the jobs offered and evaluate them all.

Pat: That sounds like a smart approach for expanding their flexible work options. Thank you, Sara.

Readers, for good reason, FlexJobs is now the number one national flexible job listing service. I recommend you add FlexJobs to your mix of tools for finding a new flexible job.

You might also be interested in:

How to Find a Flexible NEW Job and How to Negotiate Flexibility During a New Job Interview

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