Please be sure to review all of the following tabs before answering the questions below.

Areas of Employee ParticipationApproaches to Participation and EmpowermentFlexible Work Arrangements$$Variable and Extended Work SchedulesFlexible Work Arrangements$$Flexible Work Schedules and Alternative Workplaces

Flexible work schedules. A flexible work schedule, or flextime, gives employees time off during normal working hours, but they must follow a regular and defined schedule on the days when they do work. The following diagram illustrates an example of flextime.

In this example, an employee can start late in the morning and work until late in the evening, or they can start early in the morning and leave earlier in the afternoon, or they can start early in the morning, take a long lunch break, and leave late in the evening. They just have to determine what their personal needs are and then stick with the plan they choose. Flextime may be difficult to manage because all employees are at work for a limited number of hours a day and because the office must stay open longer $($using more utilities$)$ to accommodate different work schedules.

Alternative workplaces. Another option to increase employee flexibility is to allow employees to work from a location outside of the office$$usually in their homes. This practice, called telecommuting, became especially popular during the COVID$-19$ pandemic, and new technologies make it easier than ever to telecommute today.

Employees like telecommuting because it gives them a great deal of flexibility in how they spend their days. Telecommuting employees have also said that they are more productive because they don$$t have to spend time commuting and they are less likely to be interrupted at home. Organizations may benefit because telecommuting reduces absenteeism and turnover, and they can save on office and parking space. But telecommuting isn$$t perfect for everyone. Some people feel it isolates them, and some people have difficulty working at home.

Select the best answer to the following question.

$\_\_\_\_\_\_\_$ is a broader concept than $\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,$ and it gives employees more control over their work environment.

Telecommuting, flextime

Empowerment, participation

Participation, empowerment

Flextime, telecommuting