Flex Scheduling Makes Everyone Smile
New Hampshire – Northeast Delta Dental (NEDD), an umbrella organization that provides dental benefits to individuals and companies in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, is responsive to employee needs, including their non-work demands. NEDD’s flexible work policy is environmentally friendly, saves money, makes employees happy and improves customer service.
Flexible work schedules have been the norm at NEDD since 1995 and, in 2008, rising gas prices led the organization to add a four-day work week to the mix. Using a pilot program and feedback from participants, the organization created a policy that works well for employees and managers alike. To assure that NEDD remains responsive to customers, managers in each department work with employees to determine adequate departmental coverage, set flex time
parameters and staff their departments accordingly.
Support for work flexibility at NEDD begins at the top. The CEO sets the tone and models the leadership support that empowers employees to make decisions about their work schedules, coordinate with teammates and be accountable for their performance.
NEDD’s flex work policies are simple, easy to understand and administer, and take both employee and organizational needs into account. The organization benefits by reduced absenteeism, better coordination of work schedules, cross training of staff members and improved employee and customer satisfaction. NEDD has also been able to retain high-quality employees, with a turnover rate of just 3.26 percent in 2009.
Through the use of flexible work options, employees are better able to manage their caregiving responsibilities and other life demands, save money on commuting and childcare costs and enjoy working in an atmosphere that supports teamwork, quality and communication.