NPR Series on Work/Life Balance: Part One

Today NPR presented the first in a three-part series on how the traditional 9-5 workplace is becoming more flexible:

First, more and more employers are discovering that loosening the traditionally rigid work schedule pays off. Sleep says her retention rate over 16 years is an astonishing 95 percent. And study after study shows productivity also shoots up. More than half of companies now say they offer flextime, and one-third allow telecommuting at least part-time.

On the other hand, research also shows that employees don't find their workplaces nearly as flexible as managers report. Work-family experts say arrangements often appear more generous on paper than in practice and can be highly dependent on the generosity of immediate supervisors.

Listen to part one and read the transcript at npr.org: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124611210&sc=fb&cc=fp