It can be tough to hang onto a part-time or telecommuting setup when you're going through a recession.

    I tried working part-time as a reporter for this newspaper years ago when my children were small, just as the economy hit the skids in a previous downturn. Although my bosses did their best to find a reduced-hours beat for me, cost controls, coupled with the nature of our work in that bureau, meant all the professional jobs suitable for me were full-time, heavy-travel positions. After briefly considering a beat that would have required me to travel often to Europe, far from my infant and two-year-old, I chose to leave the staff to freelance for a while.

    That experience hovered at the back of my mind as I reported today's Work & Family column, on how to hang onto your flexible work arrangement in a recession. These days, employees with measurable, clear job objectives, good communication with their bosses, essential cutting-edge skills and the ability to hit performance targets have a fair chance of hanging on to their flextime, part-time or work-at-home setups, I found. Indeed, some employers seem to be more amenable to this than in the past.

    But so many obstacles can still get in the way. All the important jobs in your office may be set up as full-time, office-based gigs. Your manager may have an 'all-hands-on-deck' mentality, making it harder to work flexibly. Co-workers may resent your absences from the office, even if you try to split the load equitably. Worse yet, some managers simply assume that anyone who can't work 60 hours a week is uncommitted and unnecessary.

    Readers, what's the attitude toward flexible work arrangements at your office? Have you managed to hang onto a nontraditional work setup through this recession? Do colleagues' flexible setups cause problems for you at work?   

    當你正在經曆經濟衰退之時，獲得兼職或遠程工作的安排可能並非易事。

    你的老板能接受靈活的工作安排嗎？幾年前，我曾想為《華爾街日報》做zuo兼jian職zhi記ji者zhe，當dang時shi我wo的de孩hai子zi很hen小xiao
，而er經jing濟ji在zai上shang一yi輪lun衰shuai退tui中zhong正zheng在zai走zou下xia坡po路lu。雖sui然ran我wo的de老lao板ban盡jin最zui大da努nu力li為wei我wo尋xun找zhao一yi份fen上shang班ban時shi間jian不bu長chang的de工gong作zuo，但dan成cheng本ben控kong製zhi加jia上shang我wo們men的de工gong作zuo性xing質zhi意yi味wei著zhe所suo有you適shi合he我wo的de工gong作zuo都dou是shi全quan職zhi而er且qie經jing常chang出chu差cha的de職zhi位wei。這zhe就jiu要yao求qiu我wo經jing常chang到dao歐ou洲zhou
，遠yuan離li出chu生sheng不bu久jiu和he剛gang剛gang兩liang歲sui的de兩liang個ge孩hai子zi，經jing過guo短duan暫zan的de考kao慮lv後hou，我wo選xuan擇ze了le離li職zhi
，從cong事shi一yi段duan時shi間jian的de自zi由you職zhi業ye。

    在我為今天的《工作•家》欄目撰寫在經濟衰退中應如何獲得靈活的工作安排時，這段經驗又浮現在我的腦海中。最近，我發現擁有明確且可衡量的工作目標、與老板保持良好溝通、擁有高超技能和能力達到工作目標的員工會有合理的機會獲得彈性時間、兼職或家中的工作。事實上，一些雇主似乎比過去更願意接受這樣的工作了。

    但是
，這仍麵臨著許多障礙。單位中所有重要的工作可能都是專職、基於辦公室中的安排。你的經理可能會有一種“一切盡在掌控”的de心xin態tai
，這zhe增zeng加jia了le實shi行xing靈ling活huo工gong作zuo製zhi的de難nan度du。盡jin管guan你ni在zai努nu力li平ping等deng地di分fen擔dan工gong作zuo負fu荷he
，但dan同tong事shi仍reng可ke能neng會hui對dui你ni不bu到dao辦ban公gong室shi感gan到dao不bu滿man。更geng糟zao糕gao的de是shi，一yi些xie管guan理li人ren員yuan單dan純chun地di認ren為wei，每mei周zhou沒mei有you工gong作zuo到dao60小時的人就是不負責任和多餘的。

    讀(du)者(zhe)朋(peng)友(you)們(men)，你(ni)的(de)單(dan)位(wei)對(dui)靈(ling)活(huo)工(gong)作(zuo)製(zhi)持(chi)何(he)態(tai)度(du)？在(zai)衰(shuai)退(tui)中(zhong)你(ni)是(shi)否(fou)曾(zeng)得(de)以(yi)保(bao)持(chi)非(fei)傳(chuan)統(tong)的(de)工(gong)作(zuo)方(fang)式(shi)？同(tong)事(shi)的(de)靈(ling)活(huo)工(gong)作(zuo)製(zhi)是(shi)否(fou)給(gei)你(ni)的(de)工(gong)作(zuo)帶(dai)來(lai)了(le)問(wen)題(ti)？