Giving Them What They Want

From "Gen Y Workers to Employers: Flexible Hours, Not 9 to 5" (Time, 12/21/11):

Many companies fear that, without structure, employees will be distracted, not as engaged and less productive. In fact, the opposite is often true. A trusting work environment breeds more-loyal employees and increases efficiency. Here are three reasons for companies to embrace workplace-flexibility programs:

1. Gen Y workers won’t accept jobs where they can’t access Facebook. Cisco’s “Connected World Technology” report shows that more than half of Gen Y employees prioritize social-media freedom over a higher salary when evaluating a job offer. Furthermore, more than half say the Internet is an integral part of their lives. Gen Y-ers wants to be connected to their friends and families, not just their co-workers, throughout the day. Although some companies ban social media at work, other companies have embraced it as long as employees use it professionally. “We do want people to use social networks in order to keep in touch with their colleagues and contacts,” explains Gockel, whose company has no formal social-media guidelines or policies.

It's an interesting piece and it raises a couple of good questions: why so stringent about the Internet?  And why such a focus on a schedule with regard to productivity?

Now, I am REALLY SICK of the whole "outdated industrial model" talking point when it comes to the education discussion (it's a favorite of teacher bashers), but there is a bit of truth to it.  After all, a bell-by-bell schedule isn't necessarily how the business world works and very often the work day goes beyond the prescribed 9-to-5 hours (I'll set aside the fact that I can use this to advocate for homework).  And one of the things that makes working in an office tolerable is the ability to be trusted to work on one's own.



I think that the "they won't accept jobs where they can't access Facebook" is a bit condescending, but I see the point being made and it's been made in discussions I've had with students about web filters and the cell phone policy.  My students have said, "If we're allowed access to these things, it won't be a big deal," going on to point out that banning cell phone use (for instance) turns the device into forbidden fruit and therefore makes them more likely to want to use it.  If they could use it throughout the school day, they wouldn't be sneaking around as much.

My Devil's Advocate response is: "But what if we were having a discussion right now or taking a test and I saw you with it out?  Would you accept the fact that I'd ask you to put it away?"

Overwhelmingly, response to those questions is yes.  It seems that most of my students realize that there is a time and a place for certain things and if they're given the opportunity to demonstrate responsibility, they'll rise to the challenge (and accept consequences when they don't).  I think the same can be said for social networking and the Internet.  One of the most annoying jobs I've ever had was when I was temping a number of years back and the person in charge of temps was like a drill sergeant, reprimanding anyone the second he or she was spotted checking email instead of doing work.  I get why, but at the same time, it didn't make me want to work harder (it made me want to find a different temp job).

So what if we changed high school around to make it more flexible?  I know we can't exactly have open campuses where students come and go as they pleased (that whole "they're minors" thing ...), but what if we had a schedule in high school where instead of bells and a strict daily regimen of classes, students have a schedule mixed with a study hall or two and an actual 45 minutes to an hour for lunch (instead of what ... 30?  20?  I wolf mine down in 5, to be honest)?

I mean, I don't know how to work all of the logistics out on something like that, but wouldn't it be cool to change the way the school day and school policy works and do it kind of organically so nobody actually notices enough to make a big stink about it?  You know, little by little over a few years?  Subtly?  Wouldn't that work?