A flexible schedule allows an employee to work hours that differ from the normal company start and stop time. Particularly in an environment for exempt employees, those hours are generally 8 a.m. — 5 p.m. or 9 a.m. — 6 p.m. and tallied, they total a 40-hour work week.
In the past, flexibility has meant that an employee might work 7 a.m. — 4 p.m. every day as an option that gave the employee an extra hour in the morning in exchange for losing an hour in the late afternoon.
They require different options for flexible schedules and even flexible schedules that can change based on their need for flexibility in their lives at any given time.
In a non-exempt workplace, often industrial, production, warehousing, or customer facing such as retail, medical caregiving, grocery, and service stations, a flexible schedule depends on the amount of interdependence required in the work. A flexible schedule is also dependent on employee availability to cover all aspects of the job and all hours of the day during which a business makes products or serves customers.
Employer Expectations in a Flexible Workplace Environment
In all flexible schedules, the employer expects a full-time employee to work the required hours or more. A flexible schedule involves either a compressed work week or flexible starting and stopping times.
In a compressed work week, the most common flexible schedule is a four-day workweek in which employees work four ten-hour days. (Variations on this flexible schedule exist including twelve-hour work days but this is not recommended.) This flexible schedule allows employees to have an additional day for any activity that affords the employee more work-life balance.
A daily flexible schedule enables employees to come to work early and go home early or stay late and arrive late or take extra time at lunch that is made up. In this schedule, employers may require that employees work core hours, from 10 a.m. — 3 p.m., as an example.
Or, the employer may allow a flexible schedule that becomes the employee’s regular schedule, 7 a.m. — 4 p.m. every day, for example. This type of regular schedule that strays from the normal working hours is generally agreed upon by the employee and his or her manager.
In the most flexible workplaces of all, employees come and go as they please when they please. They are still responsible for performing a whole job and achieving the goals of their position.
Making a Flexible Schedule Work
In a typical workplace, a compressed schedule or a daily flexible schedule, once agreed upon with the employee’s manager, the employee is expected to adhere to this schedule as his or her normal schedule. When the employee works hours that are different than the agreed upon schedule, the employee must keep the manager informed so that accountability exists in the schedule.
Even in the most flexible schedule, that allows employees to come and go at will, or telework, employers must believe that the employee is putting in his time and accomplishing his goals. In a flexible environment, trust is a significant factor. Measurable goals and clear expectations are also significant so the employer is comfortable with the employee’s ongoing contribution.
Important also to employers is the recognition by employees that a 40-hour work week is expected from exempt employees even when following a flexible schedule. This is important for employers to communicate and for employees to understand or a disconnect will cause tension and conflict between the employer and the employee.
To ensure that these factors exist for employers who allow flex schedules, a firm set of guidelines should be implemented and employees trained before the adoption of a flex schedule. This will limit any confusion or uneven or unfair implementation across your organization.
A flexible schedule is one of the benefits that is most appreciated by employees — even more so by your millennial employees. The advantages when a flexible schedule is allowed, to both employers and employees, are key as you implement a flexible schedule.
