Women lose plenty of time from the workplace when they care for children or elderly relatives, and while some manage to hang onto full-time jobs—despite having to leave early, come in late or use up precious vacation time for caregiving—others are forced either to go part time or to leave the workplace altogether. According to a recent survey from FlexJobs, 31% of women who leave the workforce to care for their children would have preferred to remain in the workforce but their jobs weren't flexible enough to allow that. Leaving the workforce costs women in terms of lost salary, lost benefits, lost seniority and lost promotions. That not only affects their current financial situation, but threatens their retirement—particularly if they end up unable to participate in a workplace retirement plan because of cuts in hours or leaves of absence. For employees with an employer who lets them transition to part-time work, a report from the Huffington Post offers some suggestions on how to avoid at least some of the "schedule creep" that otherwise will see them fulfilling full-time job responsibilities despite being on half pay. We found three of the tips crucial to take action on. READ MORE: 4 ways to make work more flexible and appealing for employees Dire straits for women and retirement preparedness Workers' caregiving fraught with growing challenges