Living Large: Flex-Time at Big Corporations

By Francine L. Huff
Learning & Life Columnist

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The holidays are coming, and you probably aren't looking forward to competing with your coworkers for vacation time. In fact, if you're like many people, you probably wish you had the option to telecommute or have more flexible scheduling options year-round.

Here's one surprising solution: working for a big corporation. As women have gotten more involved in the Fortune 500 world, it's become a priority for large companies to obtain (and retain) talented employees by giving them the flexibility they need to balance jobs and families. Getting a degree in business administration, accounting, or human resources may help you land a job at one of these corporations, which is now likely to offer flexible scheduling and other perks that help balance work and family life.

Business administration jobs at large corporations are generally non-technical and may involve materials management, human resources, contract administration, or accounting. These jobs are often found at company headquarters, which may have on-site day care, health clubs, job-sharing, and other flexible scheduling options.

Family-Friendly Workplaces

Among working moms, flextime and telecommuting are especially high on the list of sought-after benefits. About 69% of working moms have asked for changes at work to strike a better work-life balance, according to a survey by Working Mother magazine. And according to Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For 2006" survey, 79 of the companies listed offer telecommuting to employees at least 20% of the time.

When deciding on a career at a particular company, find out as much as you can about scheduling options and other family-friendly benefits, such as extended maternity and paternity leaves, use of company computers for work from home, part-time shifts, and time off to care for sick children.

Continue Your Education

If you're having a tough time finding a job at a large corporation that offers such perks, you may need to further your education by getting into a business degree program to earn a bachelor's or master's. If you don't have the resources to commit to a traditional on-campus degree program, consider the many options you have for an accredited online degree. If you already work for a large company, contact your HR department to learn more about your options for flexible scheduling.

Get the Support You Need

According to the Working Mother survey, about 78% of working moms feel their bosses are supportive of their needs. So getting a better schedule may simply be a matter of asking for what you want. If your boss is resistant to your ideas, you may need to make some changes by advancing your education or getting a new job. But it is possible to find a career with a better work-family balance--so don't give up!

Sources

About the Author
Francine L. Huff is a freelance journalist and the author of The 25-Day Financial Makeover: A Practical Guide for Women. She has appeared on a variety of TV and radio shows.

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