job sharing/part time/flexible work schedules

[Jill Hietpas <jsh -at- MAYBERRY -dot- CRAY -dot- COM>]

I am a technical writer working in a publications and training
department that produces manuals and teaches courses to our field
engineers and/or customers maintaining our supercomputers.

About six months ago our department implemented flexible work
hours--that is, a 40-hour work week (minimum) of either four 9-hour
days and one 4-hour day or five 8-hour days with varying hours.  Now,
our management is looking into the possibility of allowing
writers/instructors to work part-time, job share, and/or work at home.
However, management is concerned that productivity will decrease if we
implement any of these conditions and also express concern with the
expense of part-time employees related to benefits, office space, etc.

Does anyone out there work part-time or job share as a technical writer
or instructor that could help answer the following questions:

1.      Is there an easy way to measure productivity--especially for
comparing flexible work hours or part-time vs. full-time employment?

2.      What are the advantages to your company for offering
part-time/job sharing/work at home conditions?  What are the
disadvantages?

3.      Do you know of any cases that prove how part-time/job
share/work at home can work with the type of job(s) technical
communicators do?

4.      If you have the opportunity to work out of your home, what is
the percentage of work hours at home vs. at the office?  How do you
track the hours at home vs. at the office?

Thanks in advance for any input you can offer.  Please respond directly
to me at the following email address.

jsh -at- cray -dot- com
Jill Hietpas, Cray Research, Inc.