Media Contact: Heather Nezich, Manager, Communications, ASE, 248.223.8040, hnezich@aseonline.org  

Livonia, Mich. ---March 19, 2019 --- The American Society of Employers (ASE), one of the nation’s oldest and largest employer associations, released the organization’s first ever Workplace Flexibility Survey today. With work/life balance an ever-growing concern for both employers and employees, ASE surveyed Michigan employers to see how they are providing flexible work arrangements to stay competitive.

The results were released by ASE’s president and CEO, Mary E. Corrado, who stated, “Companies big and small are realizing that they need to offer flexible workplace arrangements to suit various employee needs and remain competitive.  Our data shows that a majority of Michigan employers offer flexible solutions for employees. New technologies that enhance communication and collaboration have removed some of the barriers that existed in the past.”

Survey Highlights

• A majority of responding organizations (66%) offer some kind of flexible work arrangement to their employees.
• The most prevalent flexible work arrangement offered by organizations was flexible hours/flextime (83%).  This was followed by telecommuting, with 62% offering the benefit, and 46% allowing part-time schedules.
• In organizations that utilize flexible hours/flextime most allow employees to have varied start and end times (96%).  However, most organizations require employees to be present for core hours (79%).
• Telecommuting arrangements are most frequently at the discretion of the manager (79%) and are offered on an ad-hoc basis (77%).
• Technology has made telecommuting more efficient and viable.  54% of respondents indicate using some form of collaboration software and another 52% indicate utilizing some form of video conferencing.  Instant messaging, popularized in the mid and late 90’s, was utilized by 75% of those surveyed.
• 11% of organizations offer paid parental leave beyond FMLA, short-term disability, or what is required by law.
• 18% of organizations offer summer/seasonal hours and majority of them use a compressed workweek (38%).  The most popular form of the compressed work week is a 4/40 schedule where employees work four 10-hour days a week.

Background information on the survey

• 173 total participants
• Organizations with one to 500 Michigan employees made up 85% of the survey sample, while organizations with 501 to 1,000 Michigan employees represented 5.8% of the sample. The remaining 9.2% of the sample comes from organizations with over 1,000 Michigan employees.
• Of the 173 participants 41% are classified as Automotive Suppliers.
• Almost 80% of the sample are in the Detroit Metro Region.

Pricing

• To obtain copies of ASE’s 2018 Workplace Flexibility Survey members should visit their Dashboard on the ASE website or contact ASE’s Compensation and Benefits Surveys department at surveys@aseonline.org or 248.223.8051. These surveys are available free of charge to ASE members and for $525 to non-members.

About the American Society of Employers (ASE) – a Centennial Organization

The American Society of Employers (ASE) is a not-for-profit trade association providing people-management information and services to Michigan employers. Since 1902, member organizations have relied on ASE to be their single, cost-effective source for information and support, helping to grow their bottom line by enhancing the effectiveness of their people. Learn more about ASE at www.aseonline.org.