Catalyst, the leading non-profit organization that investigates women's issues in the business world, studied 2,000 managers, including part-time professionals, their full-time colleagues, and their supervisors, in four companies - a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company, a Fortune 100 technology company, a leading law firm, and a major consulting firm - over a two-year period. The survey, released in 1998, found:

Part-time work arrangements have considerable impact on today's workforce:

* 57% of participants in the survey are affected by part-time arrangements.
* 7% of participants worked part-time: 11% of the women and 4% of the men.
* 21% of participants will work part-time at some time in their careers: 36% of the women and 11% of the men.

Part-time arrangements are critical tools for retaining valued employees:

* 78% of full-time professionals and 98% of part-time professionals agreed that offering flexible work arrangements encourages employee retention.
* 37% of part-time professionals claimed their working arrangement was essential for continuing with their employer.

Part-time work arrangements generally have a positive impact:

* A majority of part-time professionals and their supervisors report that the arrangement either improved or didn't affect the employee's productivity; 46% agreed that individuals working part-time realize productivity gains.
* 31% of part-time participants expect to be promoted while working part-time.
* 92% of part-time participants report increased morale, and half (53%) report increases in commitment to the company or firm.

Barriers to the successful implementation of part-time work arrangements still exist:

* Lack of communication about the availability of or process involved in securing a part-time arrangement: only 45% of respondents believed the policy was clearly communicated in their organization; and although 64% of organizations have policies offering such arrangements, they remain underused.
* Lack of commensurate shift in workload after moving to a part-time arrangement: more than half of participants reported that their workload did not change after reducing their working time (and salary); 10% of participants reported an increase in workload after reducing their working time.
* Lack of the organizational flexibility necessary to support part-time workers and their managers and colleagues: performance measures need to evaluate results rather than hours; full-time equivalents need to replace head counts.

Results from Catalyst: Advancing Women into Business Leadership (www.catalystwomen.org). 1999 Catalyst, 120 Wall Street, 5th floor, New York, NY 10005-3904.