The traditional nine to five, or should we say nine to nine this time of the year is not the only way to make a living! Boston College Center for Work & Family conducted a two-year survey of 1,353 employers and found that flexibility in the workplace is a win-win situation for both employers and employees.

The workers and managers who were surveyed are in agreement that increased workplace flexibility has a positive impact on work quality, productivity and retention.

The study looked at three types of work flexibility:

• Traditional flextime: the employee has a say over when the work day starts, but the day includes certain core hours determined by the manager
• Daily flextime: workers vary their work hours on a daily basis
• Telecommuting: an employee's work schedule includes off-site work, usually performed from home.

Survey results revealed that telecommuting is the most challenging type of workplace flexibility. Good communication of expectations is needed to address the issue of these most flexible working arrangements.