These days, both employers and employees are very concerned about the employee experience. How do you handle your employees? Is the pay you receive competitively? What advantages do you provide? Employees no longer accept anything less than “great,” so these are some of the most crucial problems a business needs to solve.
For instance, flextime, which was formerly thought of as a luxury benefit, is now seen as essential for many employees. However, this benefit does not only benefit employees. Flextime has the potential to benefit you and your team when used properly.
Flextime: What is it?
Flextime is a benefit that lets each employee design their work schedule within certain constraints. It’s also referred to as flexible working hours or flexible schedules. The intricacies of flextime operations and the types of schedule flexibility that are usually allowed differ based on the type of business.
For instance, a company’s flextime policy may let workers select their start and end times for each day, while another may give them the option of working four 10-hour days or five eight-hour days. Furthermore, flextime may include the choice to work from home a predetermined number of days a week or the ability to switch from afternoon to evening work hours.
According to Darrell Rosenstein, the founder of the recruiting company The Rosenstein Group, the majority of flextime policies follow these three principles:
Every week, each employee chooses their own set of working hours. For instance, they might decide to work Monday through Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday and Friday from 9am to 6pm
All staff members must be accessible during specific core hours on weekdays to guarantee uninterrupted communication and teamwork.
Employees are required to work the required number of hours, regardless of when they begin and end their workdays. A full-time team member may be expected to work 40 hours a week.
What are the advantages of flexible scheduling for workers?
Employers and employees can benefit from flexible scheduling, and many of these advantages boost employee morale. Here are a few benefits for employees.
improved equilibrium between work and life
Employees find great value in flextime because it allows them to design a work schedule that works well with their personal lives, thereby improving work-life balance.
Enhanced wellbeing
Employees can devote more time to their physical and mental well-being when they are allowed to design their own customized work schedules. Rather than adhering to an externally set schedule, they can tailor their work hours to incorporate activities that promote well-being, such as working out at the gym, spending time with loved ones, or enrolling in a yoga class.
It’s time to advance your career
Employees who wish to take advantage of professional development opportunities but may not otherwise have the time are another benefit of flexible work arrangements.
What advantages does flextime offer to employers?
Providing your employees the freedom to design their work schedules has benefits that extend beyond the workplace. Here are a few benefits for companies.
- An improved graphic for talent acquisition and retention that shows two coworkers waving to one another
- Flextime is one of the most well-liked benefits for workers, which makes it a valuable tool for luring and keeping top talent.
Todd Brook, managing director of Engagement Multiplier, an employee engagement platform, claims that providing flextime can help you access candidates for high-demand positions that you might not have otherwise been able to due to time constraints.
When choosing whether or not to work for a company, employees consider factors other than just a competitive salary. They frequently value work-life balance highly, which flextime helps to achieve. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance for team members can also aid in retaining them over time.
Rosenstein stated, “It goes without saying that happy employees are more likely to stay with you for longer.” “Every employer is aware of how expensive it is to hire a replacement for a valuable employee. Letting them start a work schedule that suits them directly reduces turnover and the commotion it creates.
A rise in output
Productivity can also be raised by offering employees flextime so they can work when they are most available—both mentally and physically.
When considered collectively, flextime’s advantages for workers boost morale and output, creating a happier, more contented workforce where workers love their workplace. Employers can benefit in the short and long terms from fostering and upholding such a corporate culture.
What drawbacks does flextime have?
While it has certain disadvantages, flextime can be a very beneficial benefit. Be mindful of these possible drawbacks when putting a flextime policy into place.
- Communication and scheduling issues
- image of individuals writing dates on a large calendar
Managing and organizing your team when everyone is on different schedules can be challenging. For instance, scheduling meetings and other cooperative tasks during asynchronous work hours can be difficult. In the end, poor scheduling management can be detrimental to your business’s profitability.
According to Rosenstein, “letting employees pick their working hours without strict arrangements can lead to operational disruption, such as inadequate staff at any given time.” The absence of multiple employees during specific periods can cause delays in projects and negatively impact customer service, ultimately impacting the company’s financial performance.
Your team may also lack the in-person time necessary to feel connected if an excessive number of employees use their flextime to work remotely or on different schedules.
Preference for some
If flextime is restricted to a select group of workers, it can also hurt morale. Team members who can work from home may feel more positive, but those who are not able to benefit from this flexibility may feel the opposite.
Employers should carefully consider the guidelines surrounding the operation of their flextime policy to minimize the possibility of scheduling conflicts or preferential treatment.
How is flextime implemented?
We suggest the following four-step procedure after speaking with Brook and Rosenstein about how to successfully integrate flextime into an organization:
Determine the kind of flextime to provide.
Selecting the kind of flextime you wish to provide is the first step in putting a flextime policy into place. Since flextime agreements can change, it’s important to figure out what kind of schedules will work best for both your company and your staff. Discuss a plan of action with all relevant parties (e.g., the HR department, staff, and suppliers) to guarantee that business operations go on as usual.
According to Rosenstein, you should think about providing a range of flexible work options to see what ultimately suits your team as a whole. Try out alternatives like job sharing, remote work, and shortened work weeks, for instance. You can eventually focus on the frameworks you’ll need moving forward.
Establish your rules and things that are non-negotiable.
Once you’ve decided on the type of flextime you want to provide, evaluate your staffing patterns, operational requirements, and business processes to identify the rules that will guide your policy.
Brook advised determining if there are any times that team members must be available without negotiation, such as for weekly meetings, particular occasions (like an IT deployment), or exceptionally busy periods (like the holidays). Determining how many members of each team or department must be available at any given time is another important decision.
Provide pertinent information.
Create a thorough flextime policy that describes the operation of your flextime benefit. Provide pertinent information regarding eligibility, the request and approval process, and the rights and responsibilities of the employee.
Employers should establish clear guidelines for how, when, and where to communicate as well as what to do if something isn’t working, according to Brook. Creating performance metrics is also necessary to monitor the effects on productivity. Having a clear outline of these particular elements will support employee accountability, team organization, and predictable scheduling.
According to Brook, “clear accountabilities are crucial.”
Obtain official status
To make sure your policy complies with local, state, and federal labor laws, you might wish to get legal advice after it has been written. Give your staff a copy of the final policy and ask them to sign a form indicating that they will abide by the rules regarding flexible work schedules.
Last but not least, it’s critical to update the information in your employee handbook whenever you introduce a new benefit. Make sure the policy is included in any upcoming onboarding materials so that new employees understand how flextime functions at your organization right away.