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It’s no surprise that employees today want flexible hours. What is surprising, though, is that so few employers offer a flexible work schedule. All the while, millions of Americans choose to work part-time jobs so they can have more control over their work and personal lives.

如今的员工们都想要弹性工作时间，这已经不是什么新鲜事了。不过令人惊讶的是，很少有雇主能够给出一份弹性工作日程表。一直以来，美国人选择做兼职，这样他们就更容易掌控工作和私生活。

If you don’t offer flexible working hours and conditions, you’re not only creating an unideal work environment for your employees. You could also be shutting out qualified candidates who won’t settle working for a company with an antiquated working hours policy.

如果你不给出弹性工作的时间安排和工作条件，那么你给雇员带来的就不单单是不理想的工作环境了。被你拒之门外的还可能有一些优秀的候选人，他们只是不愿在陈旧的工时制度下埋头工作。

Why Americans Choose Flexibility Over Money

为什么美国人把弹性工作看得比薪水还重

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 20 million Americans actively choose part-time work.

根据美国劳动统计局的数据，超过两千万的美国人主动选择兼职工作。

They’re not working fewer hours because they can’t find a full-time position; rather, they’re engaging in a deliberate, careful work-life balance. For most, working part-time is a result of simply not being able to commit to 9-to-5 jobs.

他们的工作时间并没有因为找不到全职工作而减少，相反，他们精打细算，热衷于工作和生活之间的平衡。对多数人来说，兼职只是不被朝九晚五的工作束缚的表现。

For example, they may be college or graduate students who need time to complete assignments. Some part-time employees juggle family obligations, and others are semi-retired.

比方说，这些人可能是大学生或者研究生，他们需要时间完成自己的学业任务。一些兼职工作者需要承担家庭义务，而另一些是处于半退休状态的人。

However, one-third of this demographic – roughly 6 million Americans – choose part-time work so they can follow their passions.

然而，统计数据中三分之一的人（即大约六百万的美国人）选择兼职工作，是为了追随自己的理想。

These workers want to design their own careers. Many are young and college-educated, and they want work that will cater to their lifestyle, which is largely in flux.

这些员工想要制定自己的事业。其中很多是受过大学教育的年轻人，他们希望找一份符合自己生活方式的工作，也就是灵活的工作。

Among this population, the common denominator is simple: They don’t want to work long hours in a job they don’t like.

这些人的准则很简单：他们不希望花很多时间在不喜欢的工作上。

Too-Strict Hours Are Bad for Business

太严格的时间安排对企业不利

Even though more and more Americans choose part-time work, the percentage of employers offering flexible work has increased only minimally in the past decade – from about 4 to 5 percent.

即使越来越多的美国人选择做兼职，过去十年来，提供弹性工作的雇主并没有增长多少——大约只增长了4到5个百分点。

Inflexible hours, especially combined with low wages, place demands on employees that leave them starved for time, both for themselves and for their families.

缺乏弹性的工作时间，尤其再加上薪水较低，会让员工们对时间极度渴望，为他们自己，也为了家人。

Simply put, strict hours are bad for business because they’re bad for employees. According to research, it’s hazardous to their health. Stress takes a toll on heart health, blood pressure and getting a good night’s sleep. Spending more than 20 hours awake has the same impact on bodily and mental function as consuming five or six alcoholic drinks.

简而言之，严格的时间安排对企业不利，因为这对员工不利。据研究，这会对他们的健康造成危害。压力对心脏、血压、良好的睡眠都危害重大。超过20小时不睡觉，对身理和心理造成的伤害，和饮5到6杯酒是一样的。

The statistics also show a much more insidious problem: increased likelihood of alcohol abuse. People who work 50 or more hours a week are three times as likely to chronically abuse alcohol than those who don’t.

数据还显示了一个更为隐蔽的问题：酗酒的可能性增加。一星期工作超过50小时的人，慢性酗酒的可能性是正常工作的人的三倍。

As a result, the economy suffers. Experts estimate that, as a whole, alcohol misuse costs the U.S. economy $223.5 billion every year. Decreased workplace productivity accounts for a staggering 72 percent of the loss.

结果就是，经济就受到重创。据专家预估，就整体而言，酒精滥用每年使美国经济消耗2,235亿美元，而低下的工作效率造成了其中72%的损失，十分惊人。

Why Offer Flexible Hours

为什么要提供弹性工作时间

Given the stats, it’s clear that changing the way you structure your startup’s hours is well worth the effort. If you still need convincing, read on for some more reasons to switch to flextime.

基于这些数据，很明显可以看出，改变你公司的时间安排是值得的。如果你还在犹豫，下文有更多启用灵活工作时间的理由。

SMALL COST SAVINGS ADD UP

节省的开支会积少成多

Consider the cost benefits of shutting down the office entirely for one day every week. During that day, no one is draining utilities like electricity or water – and you’re saving on smaller investments, too, like coffee, paper towels and hand soap.

想想每周办公室关闭一天能省下多少开销。在那天里，没有人会消耗水电；咖啡、纸张、纸巾、洗手液等等小型的消耗也可以省下来。

Employees also save money they would otherwise spend on gas, public transit or going out to lunch. If the work can still get done, what may seem like small cost savings ultimately make a huge difference.

员工也能省下汽油、公交或在外面吃午餐的钱。如果工作一样可以完成，省下不起眼的小开支，最终将带来很大的改变。

WHEN MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVES, SO DOES MORALE

心理健康状况的提升，也会增强斗志

Giving people space and time away from the office allows them to catch up on truly necessary activities, such as spending time with their families and getting enough sleep. When employees feel refreshed, they’re much happier to come to work.

为员工提供办公室之外的时间和空间，能让他们投入到真正必要的活动中去，比如花时间陪陪家人、以及好好睡一觉。当员工觉得焕然一新的时候，就更乐于回到工作当中了。

RECRUITING CAPABLE EMPLOYEES IS EASIER

更容易招到能力强的员工

When one of the perks you can offer is a flexible work schedule, you’ll be able to find competent people to help your business be the best they can be – and you’ll beat out your competitors in the process.

当员工福利包括弹性工时制度时，你可以招到更具竞争力的人来帮助企业达到最佳状态，你也能在此过程中击败竞争对手。

MOST IMPORTANTLY, PRODUCTIVITY INCREASES

最为重要的是，效率提高了

When coming to work is about more than showing up, things get done. As an employer, one great way to offer flexibility is to allow your employees to work remotely when you don’t need them at the office, or to work nontraditional hours.

当来到公司不是仅仅为了混个出勤率，事情就更容易搞定了。作为雇主，一个提供弹性工作的好方法，就是在员工不需要出现在办公室的时候，允许远程工作，或者允许非传统指定的工作时间。

When the employer’s focus is on the work being done, the employees can focus on meeting deadlines and producing good work – not on watching the clock tick the seconds until it’s time to go home. The luxury of the nontraditional schedule reduces stress – and when stress doesn’t get in the way, your startup will benefit.

当雇主的关注点在于完成工作时，员工也就把重心放在及时、高质量地完成工作，而不是盯着时钟一秒一秒地过去、等着下班。享受非传统时间安排，能够减少压力；而当压力不再作祟，你的公司就能从中获益。

Allowing employees to work flexible hours doesn’t mean they’re allowed to stop showing up. Consider these ideas for restructuring the way you work your startup. The bottom line is that tangible results are the goal. Many employees find it helps tremendously when they can complete tasks efficiently, but in their own way.

允许弹性工作并不代表员工可以完全不出现。考虑一下这些调整公司运营方法的建议。最关键的是，实际的成果才是最终目标。许多雇员发现，这对高效完成工作非常有帮助，不过是以他们自己的方式。