If you want to get an extra hour of sleep at night and fit in exercise most days, having a flexible schedule at work is the way to go.  A new survey from the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows workers who are offered flex time are healthier and happier. 

But that means managers may face new challenges.

The study focused on flex time at a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) that puts the focus solely on the end product and allows employees to schedule their own time.  It shows people exercising and sleeping more, and getting sick less often.  

And flex time might prove to be great for managers too.  "I think that's superior over telecommuting, where you start to lose touch with that person," says Tulane Business Professor Mark Rosa.

He says the logistical issues can be handled by computer programs, and with some face to face time with employees, it's not nearly as challenging as managing telecommuters.  "If the employer is getting what they're asking for, then they should be satisfied in that regard.  And the employee is working during a more productive part of the day."

Obviously with some jobs, like retail, Rosa says it's impossible to have a flexible schedule.

According to the authors, "We theorize greater schedule control and reduced work-family conflict as key mechanisms linking this initiative with health outcomes. Longitudinal survey data from 659 employees at a corporate headquarters shows that ROWE predicts changes in health-related behaviors, including almost an extra hour of sleep on work nights. Increasing employees’ schedule control and reducing their work-family conflict are key mechanisms linking the ROWE innovation with changes in employees’ health behaviors; they also predict changes in well-being measures, providing indirect links between ROWE and well-being. This study demonstrates that organizational changes in the structuring of time can promote employee wellness, particularly in terms of prevention behaviors.

Click here for the study on flex time.