（澳洲生活網）

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.

如今的員工們都想要彈性工作時間，這已經不是什麼新鮮事了。不過令人驚訝的是，很少有僱主能夠給出一份彈性工作日程表。一直以來，美國人選擇做兼職，這樣他們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.

如果你不給出彈性工作的時間安排和工作條件，那麼你給僱員帶來的就不單單是不理想的工作環境了。被你拒之門外的還可能有一些優秀的候選人，他們只是不願在陳舊的工時制度下埋頭工作。

Why Americans Choose Flexibility Over Money

為什麼美國人把彈性工作看得比薪水還重

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

根據美國勞動統計局的數據，超過兩千萬的美國人主動選擇兼職工作。

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.

他們的工作時間並沒有因為找不到全職工作而減少，相反，他們精打細算，熱衷於工作和生活之間的平衡。對多數人來說，兼職只是不被朝九晚五的工作束縛的表現。

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.

比方說，這些人可能是大學生或者研究生，他們需要時間完成自己的學業任務。一些兼職工作者需要承擔家庭義務，而另一些是處於半退休狀態的人。

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

然而，統計數據中三分之一的人（即大約六百萬的美國人）選擇兼職工作，是為了追隨自己的理想。

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.

這些員工想要制定自己的事業。其中很多是受過大學教育的年輕人，他們希望找一份符合自己生活方式的工作，也就是靈活的工作。

Among this population, the common denominator is simple: They don』t want to work long hours in a job they don』t like.

這些人的準則很簡單：他們不希望花很多時間在不喜歡的工作上。

Too-Strict Hours Are Bad for Business

太嚴格的時間安排對企業不利

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.

即使越來越多的美國人選擇做兼職，過去十年來，提供彈性工作的僱主並沒有增長多少——大約只增長了4到5個百分點。

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

缺乏彈性的工作時間，尤其再加上薪水較低，會讓員工們對時間極度渴望，為他們自己，也為了家人。

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.

簡而言之，嚴格的時間安排對企業不利，因為這對員工不利。據研究，這會對他們的健康造成危害。壓力對心臟、血壓、良好的睡眠都危害重大。超過20小時不睡覺，對身理和心理造成的傷害，和飲5到6杯酒是一樣的。

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.

數據還顯示了一個更為隱蔽的問題：酗酒的可能性增加。一星期工作超過50小時的人，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.

結果就是，經濟就受到重創。據專家預估，就整體而言，酒精濫用每年使美國經濟消耗2,235億美元，而低下的工作效率造成了其中72%的損失，十分驚人。

Why Offer Flexible Hours

為什麼要提供彈性工作時間

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.

基於這些數據，很明顯可以看出，改變你公司的時間安排是值得的。如果你還在猶豫，下文有更多啟用靈活工作時間的理由。

SMALL COST SAVINGS ADD UP

節省的開支會積少成多

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.

想想每周辦公室關閉一天能省下多少開銷。在那天里，沒有人會消耗水電；咖啡、紙張、紙巾、洗手液等等小型的消耗也可以省下來。

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.

員工也能省下汽油、公交或在外面吃午餐的錢。如果工作一樣可以完成，省下不起眼的小開支，最終將帶來很大的改變。

WHEN MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVES, SO DOES MORALE

心理健康狀況的提升，也會增強鬥志

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.

為員工提供辦公室之外的時間和空間，能讓他們投入到真正必要的活動中去，比如花時間陪陪家人、以及好好睡一覺。當員工覺得煥然一新的時候，就更樂於回到工作當中了。

RECRUITING CAPABLE EMPLOYEES IS EASIER

更容易招到能力強的員工

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.

當員工福利包括彈性工時制度時，你可以招到更具競爭力的人來幫助企業達到最佳狀態，你也能在此過程中擊敗競爭對手。

MOST IMPORTANTLY, PRODUCTIVITY INCREASES

最為重要的是，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.

當來到公司不是僅僅為了混個出勤率，事情就更容易搞定了。作為僱主，一個提供彈性工作的好方法，就是在員工不需要出現在辦公室的時候，允許遠程工作，或者允許非傳統指定的工作時間。

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.

當僱主的關注點在於完成工作時，員工也就把重心放在及時、高質量地完成工作，而不是盯著時鐘一秒一秒地過去、等著下班。享受非傳統時間安排，能夠減少壓力；而當壓力不再作祟，你的公司就能從中獲益。

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.

允許彈性工作並不代表員工可以完全不出現。考慮一下這些調整公司運營方法的建議。最關鍵的是，實際的成果才是最終目標。許多僱員發現，這對高效完成工作非常有幫助，不過是以他們自己的方式。