Results-only work environments gaining converts

Instead of treating employees like school children who have to stay in their seats until the final bell rings, more employers are adopting result-only work environments (ROWE) and giving workers the flexibility to do their work on their own schedule.

The Human Services and Public Health Department of Hennepin County, Minn., is the latest to practice a results-only work environment, or ROWE, and give people the freedom to do their job when and where they want, as long as the work gets done. One of the goals was to reduce rush-hour traffic in Minneapolis.

ROWE sounds like a novel idea, but has been around for years and is likely to increase as more people who were laid off discover the joy of scheduling their days on their own time and long for it when they find jobs again. Companies save money by letting employees work from home.