THREE

Why Flexible Work Arrangements Are Not the Answer

What I dream of is an art of balance.

—Henri Matisse

When it comes to our lives and our careers, more of us are thinking like Matisse. We envision lives that artfully balance a passion for work and for personal interests, and more of us are trying to find ways to pursue these dreams. Formal flexible work arrangements have been a first step in our attempts. They provide options other than the traditional workplace expectation that employees will work continuously and full-time and do so consistently in the office. But by focusing on relatively short-term personal situations while ignoring longer-term career implications, FWAs mainly have served as way stations in career paths, sidelining—and ...

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