Flexitime1 and the Compressed Workweek2 for the Small Firm: Some Employee Reactions

This paper reports the results of the implementation of a flexitime and compressed workweek schedule, in three small firms, representing the retail, manufacturing and service industries. A pre-flexitime and compressed workweek questionnaire was administered and compared to a post-workweek, and on compressed workweek questionnaire administered one year following the implementation of both programs. The variables measured were preference, job attitudes, perceived productivity, personal life and employee turnover. The results indicate that the employees of all three firms preferred flexitime and the compressed workweek (.01 level); employees of all three firms reported feeling more favorable toward job, company and co-workers (.01 level); employees of all three firms indicated that flexitime had increased their performance at work (.10 level), only the retail and manufacturing groups felt there was an increase in productivity due to the compressed workweek (.10 level); all three groups rated personal life more positive under both programs (.10 level); employee turnover was found to be insignificant in all three groups from the “pre†to the “post†periods.