Some Good News…Really

I’m not going to tell you that there is good economic news…there isn’t.  I’m not going to tell you that unemployment will go down and you’ll find a job soon if you’re not working as I can’t predict that.  What I can tell you is that all indications are that this tough economy is good for workplace flexibility issues.  And that’s what this blog is about.

Also, I know many of you don’t believe the title of this article.  And I think that’s because our culture is so plugged in and inundated with news – most of it bad.  And I know many of you are hurting and many others are scared that they may soon be hurting.  So let’s take a moment away from that stress to look at the positive…a bad economy is good for those who don’t fit into an office world, even if that is only a temporary condition for you.  Here’s why:

Turnover is expensive – It costs much more to replace a good employee than to keep one. If there is one thing that companies are interested in this year it’s lowering costs.  And finding good talented employees takes time and costs more.  So if you have made yourself indispensible to your company and you’d like a more flexible work life 2009 could be your year.  Don’t forget to do your research first and come up with a good plan.  And you may want to wait for second quarter…as everyone’s still on edge after 4th quarter numbers just came out, but by next fall you might have your dream schedule.

Retirement brain drain – For years there has been lots of talk about the boomer generation retiring and how there will be a talent vacuum.  For those of retirement age that aren’t interested in golfing full-time.  Make your deal with your company this year.  They don’t want you to go and you don’t want to.  It’s a win-win situation.

Contract/freelance/temporary work will pick up – It always does in a down economy.  It is much easier to hire someone for a finite amount of time for a project than to find an employee that has to receive benefits and may need to be laid off later.  Again, I’m not sure we’ll see a lot of action here this month or next.  But if you’re out of work with a skill that can easily be used on a project basis…start networking.  There will be work available in 2009.

Telecommuting is becoming more commonplace – With the prevalence of laptops and wifi people can and are working from home, starbucks, the airport, etc. these days.  Global business means lots of travelling, lots of travelling means working on the road, working on the road has proven work can be done outside the office and you can reap the benefits.  Do check out my recent blog entry about working from home. As I’ve had first hand experience with telecommuting part-time and it does take some planning and good management skills.