Time to cook, read, relax
Beth Palmer of Sugar Land,
Texas, is Vice President/Production for The Quest
Business Agency, a small marketing communications firm.
Her school-aged daughter used to get up at 5:45 to be at
morning care so that Beth could be at her desk by 8 AM;
pick-up after work was at 6 PM.
Not anymore.
“My bosses were impressed with the
level of detail in the [Proposal Package] and said that
reducing my work week from 40 to 32 hours was do-able.”
Beth trimmed her workday at both ends. “No more hitting the
decks running. We have time to make a nutritious meal,
practice guitar, study for tests, read, or just relax
before bed at 8:30 PM. Thank you for a great product.”
“Wednesdays are mine!”
Hope Tera, a PC trainer for an international bank in
New York City, shortened her workweek by one day.
“Before I went to your website, I drafted up my own
proposal. It was half a page and vague. I'm convinced
that management took my request seriously because of
[your proposal's] professional layout and detailed
information. Wednesdays are mine! It's going to make
such a huge difference in my quality of life. My son is
going to have a calmer mother. We thank you!”
Saving 8 hours a week commuting
Wayne Patton, VP, Marketing of Diversified Financial
Associates, endures long commutes into Los Angeles. But
not as often since using the Telecommuting Proposal
Package.
“I now telecommute from home two days each week saving me 8 hours
of commute time into Los Angeles. I am more focused on my firm's agenda with
less wear and tear on myself mentally, not to mention the expense of driving 120
round trip miles each day. The [proposal] template was so easy to follow and one of the most thoughtful
work-related tools I've encountered...[I'll] confidently refer anyone that can
benefit from your professional templates.”
“Yeah right, like I am going
to pay for some proposal...”
Robin Whicker, a music industry
account executive in Nashville, wanted a shorter workweek after having her baby
girl. She didn't see the need at first for making a written request,
and paying for such a proposal was even farther from her mind.
That is, until...
“I emailed [my bosses]
about going part-time and didn't get much of a
response...I
decided I needed to provide my boss with something more
substantial regarding my request. I had actually seen
your website before, but thought, ‘Yeah right, like I am
going to pay for some proposal sight-unseen!’
Yet on that particular day, [the price] seemed like a pretty good
investment if I could get what I needed into my hands
quickly.
Your part-time
proposal outlined exactly what I needed. Within
an hour I had plugged in my specific changes and handed
it to my boss (this was two weeks ago). This
morning I spoke to him and they have agreed to all that
I requested! I am ecstatic! I am certain that the
proposal is what convinced them that I was serious and
put it into a format they could discuss with the
higher-ups...you did cover several bases I
hadn't thought of...Your product is fantastic. Thank you
so much.” Well, she said it better
than I could!
Part-time hours allow full-time
breastfeeding
Kristen Jones of Franklin, Massachusetts, is a
Senior Business Systems Analyst in the financial
industry. After her daughter was born she wanted to
breastfeed exclusively, even as a working mother. A
part-time schedule along with a caregiver (her mom) just a few
miles from her workplace made the difference.
“My
boss agreed to let me work a three-day work week (much
to my surprise). Now I'll be able to spend more time at
home with my new baby daughter, even as my maternity
leave ends. I don't think that things would have turned
out the way they did if it weren't for your part-time proposal
package. Thank you so
much.”
Cut in hours; no cut in pay!
Rosalie Seiler of Parker, Colorado, shows that anything
is possible with a great proposal. A sales associate and
office manager in the hotel and meeting planning
industry, she was able to negotiate a 34-hour workweek
without a pay cut.
“Thanks to your
Part-time Proposal Package, I was successful in getting my work schedule
changed from full-time to Monday to Thursday, 8-5:30, with Fridays
off, yet keeping my current salary and full benefits. My
proposal was well-accepted by the
decision-makers. They liked the fact that it was detailed and that I had a plan for the times I'd be out
of the office. Many thanks for your proposal template!”
Stalled talks move to
overnight
approval
For almost two months, Aimee Dennis, a director of
development for a non-profit in Dallas, had discussed
her request for a flexible work arrangement with her “very
reluctant” boss.
“Just when I
thought we had reached an impasse, my husband stumbled
across your website. I downloaded [your Proposal
Package] in the
morning, prepared my proposal, and submitted it the same
afternoon. The next morning, after a 10-minute
discussion, she approved it. She was extremely impressed
with how thorough it was and I had an answer to her
every objection. She even said, You just addressed
every single concern I had. I'll be job sharing and
telecommuting and this will allow me the kind of
flexibility and time I need for my two children. Your
proposal templates are worth every penny!”
Persistence pays off
with conservative employer
Kim Stephens is Senior Cost Accountant at Foremost
Farms, a dairy bottling company in Wisconsin. She
described her employer as “very conservative”,
noting that there were no salaried part time
individuals in a company of 3000 employees run by men.
Kim proposed a four-day, 32-hour workweek to start
upon return from her maternity leave. She was told that
she was “too important” and that they
had many projects for her to do.
“I was very
disappointed but ended the conversation saying that I
would like to revisit the idea in one year. I knew from
all of your information...to not let the door close. I
would never have thought of this on my own and would
have just let no be no forever! They agreed.”
Determined to show her employer that she could make a
four-day week work, Kim took a 10-week family and
medical (maternity) leave, and used the remaining two
weeks (10 work days) to take off one day at a time, once
a week, for 10 weeks. Then she returned to work
full-time.
Four months later, the one-year post-proposal
point arrived and she followed through on presenting the
proposal again, as agreed.
“Since I wasn't told anything in my first
proposal would not work, I presented the same document,
including a proposed 10% cut in pay rather than
20%. They approved it at a 15% cut! I'm still pinching
myself!!”
“This is the best!! I feel so lucky to
have a job I love, plus enough time for me and my
family. Thank you! This meant the world to me and my
family and I would not have been successful without your
[Proposal Package] plan. David, Alexander and Zayda thank
you also!”
Less stress and more time with
her daughters
Judy Balcomb-Richey is the Information Systems
Manager for Lehr Middlebrooks Price & Vreeland, a
Birmingham Alabama law firm. In conveying her Proposal
Package success story she wrote:
“I got word
yesterday that my proposal for reducing my workweek was
approved. My new schedule will be M-F from 8:00 a.m. -
2:30 p.m., allowing me to pick up my girls from school.
Typically, I do not get home until around 6:30 in the
evening, so this will be a wonderful change. In the
past, my employer has been very resistant to schedule
changes. Your plan helped me create a
proposal that was professional, organized and answered
their questions and concerns up-front. I can't tell you
how thrilled I am that I will be able to spend more time
with my children and reduce my stress level.”
No
employer
flexible work policy? That's not unusual.
And that's why you must take the initiative to ask for
the schedule you want. Here are a few typical examples
of Flexible Work Proposal Package users
who were first
in their work area to get a flexible work
schedule.
“Working
at a company with no flexible work arrangements at all, I presented a
proposal which was well-tailored to meet my needs as
well as my employer's. I am the first to have a
part-time schedule. The proposal received high praises from my Director
and VP. Thank you so very much for being there!”
Normalee Sirota, Senior
Tax Accountant, Burlington, NJ
“I
knew I needed a formal proposal...but I just didn't know
where to start. Before finding your Proposal Package, I spent
many hours doing some research myself. The day I finally
stumbled onto your program, I woke up thinking, ‘If there was just something on the Internet or
in a book that had a proposal ready to go with
statistics and facts, then I would feel so much more
comfortable talking to my boss.’ Your plan was a breeze
to use and much more clear and concise than what I could
have come up with. I opted for an 80% workweek and got
exactly what I wanted. NOBODY has ever had any flexible
arrangements here before I got approval. Thank you!
Thank you! Thank you!” Amy Abedi, Irvine,
CA
“Hi
Pat, I have to say you have an excellent product...your Proposal Package helped me put together a detailed, inclusive document that was successful
in helping to convince my employer that a 4-day work week would not only
benefit me, but also the company...
It was very helpful in
quickly pulling together the necessary justifications and covering all the bases...The day after I briefly mentioned
my plans, my boss told me that it was unlikely that he would “do without”
me one day a week. However, following the review of my proposal, he completely
changed his story...
I knew I had an uphill battle, but your package made my proposal
much more manageable and comprehensive and more importantly, helped to be
convincingly logical (to my boss!) Thanks!” Danielle Ouendag, Environmental Affairs
Manager, Grand Rapids, MI,
FIRST in the facilities
engineering department to propose a flex schedule
“Thanks
so much...We just received approval for our job share arrangement! We are the first at our company to try this arrangement. I know that we wouldn't have
received approval without our written proposal. My boss and my boss's boss were
so impressed. They
raved about how comprehensive our proposal was and how they knew we were
serious based on the amount of work that went into our proposal. Little did they
know that we had some help from you [the Job Sharing Proposal Package].”
Laurie
Graham,
Senior Manager, Corporate Accounting,
Troy, MI
“Thank you for developing the Telecommuting
proposal package. Although I
had thought about most of the info you outlined in your template, it provided me
with the ability to organize my proposal, offered some additional ideas, provided me with info for a great strategy and also
with responses for any objections.
My proposal to work from home (in another state!) was accepted on a trial basis
in part because the proposal was so complete and comprehensive and because my
job is perfect for telecommuting. This was new territory for my organization
and has not ever been done before.” Elaine Guanci,
Applications Development Project Manager,
Buford, GA
“[Your Proposal Package] worked great for me. I went from a five day, 40+ hour work week to a four
day, 35 hour work week. Your outline and information allowed me to construct
a comprehensive plan which was well received by my employer. I was the first in our company
of 200 employees to ask for this flexible arrangement.” Barbara Bumblis
Documentation Manager,
Santa Ana, CA
“Pat: We were
successful in setting up a job share arrangement at our company, a Fortune
500 printing company based in Chicago. It is the first such arrangement in
the company's 130 year history for sales representatives...Thank you for
the job share ideas and proposal outline.” Sara Keese,
Sales Representative, RR Donnelley & Sons,
Chicago
