Being flexible has its advantages

Gary Smith, a senior phone customer service representative based in Colorado Springs, works full-time from home and sees the experience as “a breath of fresh air.” “It helps me coordinate my personal life better and reduces the burnout I’d been feeling,” he says. “I also like that I can still participate [in meetings] and receive important information via teleconferencing.”

He’s one of the 4,292 employees who, in 2010, leveraged the flexible work arrangements Progressive offers. Many companies have such arrangements only for salaried employees. Our flexible work programs are open for discussion for all employees. The goal is to find win-win work scenarios for all involved and meet both customer and employee expectations.

In our 24-hour customer contact centers specifically, we’ve offered formal flexible work arrangements to people in phone positions, like Gary, since 2008. In 2010, we expanded the program to employees in contact center processing roles as well.

Senior Processor Melissa Westgate, based in Tampa, gets more done working from home. “At home I have the ability to be more productive in a less stressful environment so I can provide the best customer service possible to each and every client.”

In all of our contact centers, we focused on phone and processing representatives working 100 percent from home to reduce workspace needs and enhance employee satisfaction. People also see a savings in travel time and fuel use. By the end of 2010, more than 400 contact center employees enjoyed being able to work from home.

“Leadership commitment helped us take risks that other companies aren’t so willing to take. Flexible work arrangements give us a unique opportunity as a company and an attractive offering as an employer.” says Human Resources Process Director Kathy Kitterman.