In today’s American workforce, with younger employees in particular, compensation is increasingly less about pay, and more about giving workers flexibility and freedom.

This idea is explained in detail in a May 11 article published by Knowledge@Wharton, the online business analysis journal of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

The trend is widespread enough to have become part of the broader workforce culture, Stewart Friedman, director of Wharton’s Work/Life Integration Project, notes in the piece.

“The macro trend is toward a greater interest and legitimacy in creating flexibility or freedom in the where, when and how of work,” Friedman is quoted as saying.

He added that it is now typical for workers to have “alternative work arrangements,” something made possible by technology, the routine of both parents parents working, and a broader push for more work/life balance as the younger generation matures and begin their careers.

The article cites data from a study published in the American Sociological Review that shows IT workers at a Fortune 500 company were just as productive getting autonomy in how they got their work done as counterparts who worked a regular 40-50 hour week. What mattered, as long as the work got done: Results.

“Better Pay or More Flexibility: It Doesn’t Have to Be a Trade-off” is the name of the piece. You can access the full article here.

Source: The Wharton School/University of Pennsylvania