Hourly Employees Cannot do ROWE, Right?

As the Human Resources expert for the Results-Only Work Environment team, I get asked quite often:

“Hourly employees cannot work in a ROWE, right? They have to track time and be in the office.”

And, honestly, every time I hear this question, I cringe. So, today, I want to set the record straight. Yes, hourly people, too, CAN focus on results. It kind of sounds silly now, doesn’t it? Results-Only Work Environment is for everyone who wants to focus on results. And, do hourly employees need to focus on results? Absolutely!

But what about time tracking? Yes, there is that. CultureRx, the consulting firm that is the official provider of implementing ROWE in organizations, would never advocate a change that brings non-compliance. Even in a ROWE, hourly employees need to track and record their time in order to be compliant with labor laws. Someday, we hope, the laws will catch up with society. But, for now, let’s look at how ROWE works for hourly employees.

An hourly employee will track and record their time, but it will be different than how they might do it in a traditional workplace. There are some workplaces where someone’s goal every week is to ensure they have 40 hours accounted for on their timecard. Was the customer helped? Not sure. Do they know how their work ties to the overall outcome of the organization? Definitely not. But, their 40 hours was written down.

In a ROWE, hourly employees still record their time. However, recording time in a ROWE is seen as a required task in order for an organization to maintain compliance with antiquated employment laws. They do not see it as their ultimate outcome. They see helping those in need as their outcome. Or maybe getting people to the best retirement possible. Or ensuring the safety of all of us reading this blog post.

Can hourly employees work in a ROWE? Yes, if you want them to be results focused!

Want to join the discussion? Results-Only Radio on Tuesday April 10^th at 12:00 pm CST is going to feature the topic Hourly Employees in a ROWE. Join the conversation here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/culturerx

To learn more about Results-Only Work Environment, visit gorowe.com

Stacey Swanson can be followed on Twitter: @StaceyMSwanson