I think that most programmers enjoy their work due to the flexible schedule. Although that sometimes means working at odd hours - but sometimes one doesn't "get their groove" until 7pm or midnight or whenever. As long as productivity isn't falling, I don't think management should have a problem. Out of curiousity, would they have a problem if developers came in at 7:30 or 7am or so and left at 4pm? That's an 8hr day or so... is their gripe that they're not in office during business hours or that they have shorter or longer days? Just for the heck of it.. this is interesting.. it was passed along in an IT department
How Software Companies Die.. - Managment
may or may not find this interesting. :)