Flextime

Under flextime, workers are allowed to determine their work schedule instead of working during the standard hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Learning Objective

Evaluate flextime as an alternative work schedule

Key Points

Even with flextime, employees are usually expected to work during a core period of time during the working day depending on the needs of the business (from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for example).
Some companies have a flexplace policy which allows employees to decide where they do their work.
Flextime benefits for employees include: a better work-life balance, less commute, less fatigue, more days off, and lower sickness.
Flextime benefits for the company include: better motivated workers; more efficient and effective operation; less fatigued workers, so less errors; people work overtime hours without receiving overtime rates; fewer facilities required; and lower sickness.

Terms

work-life balance
The relative importance of work and personal life to a particular individual.
telecommuting
Telecommuting or telework are terms often used interchangeably to refer to a work arrangement in which employees enjoy flexibility in work location and hours. A person who telecommutes is known as a "telecommuter" and a person who teleworks is known as a "teleworker. " Telecommute generally refers to the elimination of the daily commute to a central place of work. Many telecommuters work from home, while others, occasionally also referred to as "nomad workers" or "web commuters" utilize mobile telecommunications technology to work from coffee shops or other locations.
flexitime
An arrangement that allows employees to set their own working hours within agreed limits; normally must include certain periods (core time) when they must be at work.

Example

Flextime works well for parents when both parents work. A working mother might choose to work from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. so that she can be home when the children return from school (or pick them up). Her husband may go to work later, to see the children off to school, and thus stay at work later.

Full Text

Flextime

Flexitime is a variable work schedule, in contrast to traditional work arrangements requiring employees to work a standard 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. day. Its invention is usually credited to William Henning. Under flextime, there is typically a core period (of approximately 50% of total working time / working day) of the day, when employees are expected to be at work (for example, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.). The rest of the working day is "flexitime", in which employees can choose when they work, subject to achieving total daily, weekly, or monthly hours in the region of what the employer expects, and subject to the necessary work being done .

Telecommuting

This man is telecommuting from a restaurant. As a result of improvement in technology and Internet connectivity, one can telecommute from almost anywhere now.

A flextime policy allows staff to determine when they will work, while a flexplace policy allows staff to determine where they will work. Its practical realization can mainly be attributed to the entrepreneur Wilhelm Haller who founded Hengstler Gleitzeit, and later "Interflex Datensysteme GmbH" in Southern Germany, where today a number of companies offer Flexitime (Gleitzeit) solutions which have grown out of his initiative.

Advantages of Flextime

The advantages of flexitime for the individual include: better work-life balance, less commute, less fatigue, more days off, and lower sickness. The benefits for the company include: better motivated workers; more efficient and effective operation; less fatigued workers, so less errors; people work overtime hours without receiving overtime rates; fewer facilities required; and lower sickness.

For employers, flexitime can aid the recruitment and retention of staff. It has been a particularly popular option in 2009 for employers trying to reduce staff costs without having to make redundancies during the recession. It can also help provide staff cover outside normal working hours and reduce the need for overtime. Flexitime can also improve the provision of equal opportunities to staff unable to work standard hours. Flexitime can give employees greater freedom to organize their working lives to suit personal needs. In addition, travelling can be cheaper and easier if it is out of peak time.

A recent review by the Cochrane Collaboration has found that flexible working arrangements, such as flextime and telecommuting can have positive effects on health, but the effects are primarily seen when employees have some control over their new schedules. Additionally, individuals who telecommute to work most of the work week are more satisfied with their jobs than are traditional employees who commute into a physical office location.

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