It’s a balance and one that is difficult especially in these times, having the job that fulfills and pays the bills comfortable

As younger generations backfill for retiring boomers, we expect the workplace to become more flexible and not necessarily mean an office or a desk in a corporate location.

Gen Y and the Millennial expect flexible work arrangements. If they don’t get them, they will move on to companies that will provide these capabilities. So companies have a choice: loosen up the policies written in the 1970’s or risk losing workers to competitors who will.

Here’s another big news flash for corporate America: The “Command and Control” style of management is gone. If you think you can force workers into a huge cube farm to view your empire in one place, you may not like what you see. If you’re going to dictate to the younger workforce of today you’re going to get the same reaction as you did from your kids: defiance. Younger workers will not tolerate the dictorial style of older Boomers. Instead, they’ll head for the doors. Turnover and training are expensive. Don’t let outdated policies and management styles ruin your company.

Hooray for working at home!

@Jeff: If you think people that come in at 7 don’t get anything done until people show up at 9, you must be a manager. I get more work done from 6pm to 10pm than I do the rest of the day. Why? Because there are no meetings, no co-workers chatting me up, no phone calls… Just me at my desk getting work done.

Do you realize the value of a dollar today is only .50 of what it was 10 years ago?

At that rate a gallon of milk is going to cost $10 in 5 years.

Go ahead and work for the fun of it, you’ll be in the poor house soon.

Strangley enough I find that salary and trust/flexibility rise together. As I’ve gone from jr developer to sr and lead, the salary goes up and so does the respect, and then you get the trust to manage your priorities the way you see fit.

I want the money I deserve AND the flexibility to take my kid to the doctor when I need to. I won’t stay in a job that doesn’t give me both. Working at home once a week is an extra perk I have lived without, but it really helps keep me sane, and I keep my clients happy no matter where I’m working.

As for the guy who gets annoyed by the women in his office talking: believe me, a gaggle of guys (and I work with a lot more guys than gals) talking about their cars, gadgets, politics, wives and girlfriends is no picnic either.

I’ve also had managers that actually managed by project — managed by “Is this person getting their work done?”. I know, it’s a novel idea, you have to actually be involved in what your employees are doing, and not just have a seat warmer draining your payroll expense.

I’ve found that what others have said here is true. If you can’t trust them to do work from home, chances are they’re not working at work either.

Ok, I gotta get back to work!

There’s a certain type of worker that I’ve come to realize as being the mass majority in the work place; the clock-puncher. Clock-Punchers has the typical ‘employee’ mentality, whereby they punch a clock in the morning, do nothing more than what is required of them, and punch the clock again the precise moment their workday is over. Their thoughts are only vaguely with the company when they clock in, and once they clock out, all thoughts of the company leave their minds until the next day. Employees who have the ability to work from home tend to take the company’s interests alittle more to heart. Their thoughts of the company don’t just vanish at the end of the day. And they feel slightly more a part of their company.

I would have to agree, however, that it is primary about the money up to a certain point. Today’s workers tend to set goals for themselves moreso than individuals in the past. Providing that they can reach those financial goals, or come close enough, then it becomes less about the money and more about managing their time. If you pay an employee what he’s worth, or close enough to it, you atleast show him the respect he deserves. Beyond that, he’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done and more if you’re willing to offer him something to improve his life away from the company.

Today’s average worker has two main stress factors he has to balance; the stress of work and the stress of life. If an employer can offer a way to reduce both, even a little, it will go a long way toward keeping their employees happy, and keeping their employees… period.

As to working at home, I know I would be more productive. I wouldn’t have the four women on the other side of the cube wall chatting all day. (They might be more productive at home, too!) I could work by a window, which is better psychologically. Finally, I could play music while working (studies have shown that workers are more productive listening to music they like). Rightly enough, playing music is banned here in cubeland. I wouldn’t get anything done if the guy in the next cube was playing heavy metal all day.

Another thing to remember is that for most of human history, people only worked at home (or in an attached shop, etc). I know people who only work from home and it seems like a more natural life style.