October 18, 2007 BPW Foundation Webinar ● Workplace Design: Benefits & Challenges

Customized EmploymentCustomized Employment

One Creative Option to Support One Creative Option to Support

Workplace FlexibilityWorkplace Flexibility

Lisa Cuozzo, Director of OperationsTransCen, Inc. & MontgomeryWorks

One Stop Workforce Center

October 18, 2007 BPW Foundation Webinar ● Workplace Design: Benefits & Challenges

A bit of history

• Customized Employment is:– a flexible blend of strategies, services, and

supports…– designed to increase employment options for

job seekers with complex needs…– through voluntary negotiation with an

employer.Office of Disability Employment

Policy,U.S. Dept of Labor

October 18, 2007 BPW Foundation Webinar ● Workplace Design: Benefits & Challenges

Result: Employment where

• tasks are carved from an existing job,

• tasks are restructured from one or more existing jobs, or

• tasks are created to meet specific employer need.

i.e., a “customized” job description

October 18, 2007 BPW Foundation Webinar ● Workplace Design: Benefits & Challenges

What we’ve learned

• By customizing employment situations and job descriptions for people with complex needs (with a focus on workplace/ business needs), retention rates greatly improve.

• A little creativity goes a long way!

October 18, 2007 BPW Foundation Webinar ● Workplace Design: Benefits & Challenges

Customized Employment as a Flex Options Strategy

• Typical flex options:– Flexible worksite (telecommuting)

– Flex time (flexible scheduling)

– Flexible staffing (job sharing or hiring temps)

• Additional Customized Employment Flex Options:– Job carving – Task reassignmentTask reassignment

October 18, 2007 BPW Foundation Webinar ● Workplace Design: Benefits & Challenges

Task Reassignment

• Some job tasks of incumbent workers are reassigned to a new employee– allows incumbent worker to focus on the

critical functions of his/her job (i.e., primary job responsibilities) and complete more of the central work of the job.

• Task reassignment typically takes the form of job creation– a new job description is negotiated based on

current, unmet workplace needs.

October 18, 2007 BPW Foundation Webinar ● Workplace Design: Benefits & Challenges

Why?

• Customized Employment as a Flex Options strategy saves a company time and money.

• Allows for a broader diversification of the workforce (diversity and corporate responsibility initiatives)

• Creates a welcoming and highly inclusive environment.

October 18, 2007 BPW Foundation Webinar ● Workplace Design: Benefits & Challenges

Given the Choice

• Given the choice between work and idleness, people will almost always choose work.

- Robert E. Drake, M.D, Ph.D.