By Allie Moore, on June 27, 2012

One aspect of working at a large organization that I find interesting is seeing the wide variety of work arrangements available for employees. At NARA, there is a great deal of flexibility in how employees schedule their time. Staff can set their own work schedule- starting anytime between 6:30 and 9:30am, and staying until 3:30-6:30pm, depending on when they start. . This works for me (an early bird) as I can show up for work at 6:29 am, but it also works great for my friend (a night owl) who can arrive at 9:29.

Employees also have the option to telework and many employees work at home at least one day a week. Of course, the opportunity to do this is conditional on the type of work being performed.  Some tasks are better suited for telework, but permitting eligible employees to participate strikes me as a great way to retain qualified employees at the Archives.

Let’s be honest, generally speaking, public sector employees are not the highest paid folks in the workforce. (Yes, there are exceptions, and yes, there are perks of public sector work not found in the private sector, but that is beyond the scope of this post.) Furthermore, public sector work, particularly in the government, can be a thankless job at times. Maybe it’s just me, but while I am looking forward to a career in public service, the prospect of spending the next thirty to forty years of my life working a 9-5 office job laden with bureaucracy and politics is daunting. Doable, but daunting. The opportunity to have a work schedule that provides flexibility may seem like an unnecessary indulgence to employers, but I think it demonstrates to employees they are valued by their employer.  If I am going to work for someone for one, five, fifteen or twenty plus years, I’d like to be valued and appreciated.

But really, doesn’t everyone?