Simms Gives Employees Time Off to Fish

I like Simms Fishing Products for a number of reasons. The company makes good waders, does so right at its facility in Bozeman, Mont., and encourages employees to get out and fish… Management figures their employees will do a better job of making waders if their legs are in the water more often.  

So in the third quarter of this year, Simms instituted "Fish Flex Friday." Employees can coordinate their schedules with their department heads to ensure the work gets handled, and at noon on Fridays, they're free to fish.

Not free to go play a round of golf, or go shopping, or bowling, mind you. You only get the half day if you spend it fishing.  

The company had a goal of 720 employee fishing days in the quarter, and that was exceeded by nearly 500 days.

Now, the way I see it, we can all apply for jobs at Simms, or we can encourage our respective employers to implement Fish Flex Friday programs. In fact, I think that should be a national workplace standard. If you fish, you deserve to take a half day on Fridays to follow that passion. Then again, rivers might get pretty crowded on Fridays. I'll take Tuesdays.  

I'd ask Romano, but he has declared today a Duck Hunt Flex Thursday.