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How to negotiate summer hours at work

Summer is officially here and Canadians are looking to take advantage of the nice weather with a little flexibility in their schedules. According to a survey by global recruitment agency Randstad, nearly half (48 per cent) of Canadians would like more flexibility in their work hours.

“There are industries where you need continuous production and a certain amount of people on the line and you can’t always accommodate that but where you can, you should,” Faith Tull, senior vice president of human resources at Randstad Canada told Yahoo Canada Finance. “Things like staggered hours or compressing the work week or in the summer having summer Fridays – one size certainly doesn’t fit all.”

The finding echoes other results that are in line with the ever-evolving workplace. Of the 7,041 Canadian employees polled, 30 per cent say they would like variable hours and 65 per cent say they’d like the option to work remotely.

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“We’re getting to a place where employers have to adjust and if they don’t they’re at a risk of not getting top talent,” says Marsha Forde, director of human resources for job search site Workopolis.

Both Forde and Tull agree that while it’s up to employers to ask what their employees want and make efforts to keep them engaged, it’s also up to employees to voice what they’re after.

Forde, for instance, points out that while Workopolis doesn’t have a formalized flex or summer hours program, they have cultivated a culture that is “very accommodating to late start times, and time needed out of the office for personal commitments.”

“These are often negotiated per employee, addressed as the need arises and of course considers performance of the individual asking,” she says.

Those who peg hour flexibility and opportunities to work remotely at the top of their list can use social media and online company reviewing websites like Glassdoor or Salary.com to get a feel for a corporate culture and find one championing these values before they even go through the interviewing process.

“During the interview period you can ask questions around flexibility and the culture of the organization,” says Tull. “But it’s certainly not the first thing you want to say, because people might take it the wrong way.”

Of course, not everybody is thinking of summer hours while they’re trying to ace an interview so it’s probably more likely you’ll want to approach the conversation during an employee review or when you’re asked for feedback.

Forde stresses that while your reputation as a productive and engaged employee will go a long way in negotiations, it’s also important to have a plan for how it could look, to find a way to convince your employer it’s a win-win situation.

“Come prepared with a plan on how this doesn’t mean less hours in the office, it just means shifted hours,” says Forde.

Point out benefits to the employer like boosted productivity by coming in earlier, the value that can come from workplace balance. “Show that you’ve really thought it through from their perspective.”

And anticipate any questions or pushback they might give like: “If I do it for you, won’t everyone else ask for flex hours?”

In this case, you could suggest scheduling alternating summer hours to ensure staff is always there when needed.

“The biggest thing is helping them understand that you can make this happen without there being a negative impact to the business,” says Forde. “It’s a business case, really.”