The HR Specialist

In addition to providing plain-English HR advice that tells readers what they can do, not just what they can’t do, The HR Specialist shows HR professionals how to raise the profile of the HR function from the back office to the boardroom. Readers will find personal success by developing innovative solutions to general management problems.  Learn more about The HR Specialist and the two free reports you'll get when you subscribe...

“XYZ offers flexible work arrangements as an alternative to a traditional work schedule. They provide you with options in the number of hours you work and where you work.

“You may request a flexible work arrangement when a traditional work schedule is not ideal for you. For example, you may need special hours to care for a child or other relative, to attend school or to meet other personal demands . . .

“Not every job is adaptable to a flexible work arrangement, so there is no assurance that an arrangement can be approved by your manager . . . An approved flexible work arrangement typically begins on a temporary basis to make sure that the arrangement is workable for you and for your area’s business. Your manager and human resources representative will work with you to implement the arrangement . . .

 “If your manager approves a flexible work arrangement, you and your manager sign an agreement outlining specifics about the arrangement.”

(Note: Such a policy should also specify who is eligible to request a flexible work arrangement, the types of arrangements available and how to make a request.)

“Definition of Flex-Time: Flex-time is a work schedule which allows employees to work hours that are not within the standard 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. range, while maintaining a high level of service during the organization’s peak operating hours (typically 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). With a flex-time schedule, non-exempt employees are still subject to all requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Employees who are exempt from FLSA are expected to work whatever number of hours are required to accomplish their duties and may be permitted to set their own schedules . . .

“Eligibility: Because services within each division vary, not every employee in each department will be able to work similar flex-time schedules. Therefore, supervisors will have to carefully examine the flex-time schedules which their employees request [to] ensure ample employee coverage during peak hours.

“Managing Flex-Time: It is the responsibility of the supervisor to verify and ensure performance of employees with flex-time schedules. Flex-time schedules will need to be placed in a central location so that all employees stay aware of who is covering department services. Good relationships among everyone involved are important for a successful flex-time policy. Trust is a big factor; supervisors must feel confident that employees will not abuse the benefits that are inherent in a flex-time schedule. Flex-time is a privilege, not a right, and, if abused, can be taken away at the discretion of the supervisor.”

________________________

What's at Issue

An increasing numer of employers offer some flexible scheduling to give employees more options in balancing their job and home. Flextime, telecommuting and job sharing have become popular benefits. Proponents say these low-cost arrangements can boost employee morale, enhance personal life, and reduce absenteeism, tardiness and turnover. If nothing else, they tend to lower stress among employees by giving them more control over their time.

Flexible scheduling helps businesses attract and retain good employees at little extra cost. Before adopting any policy on flextime, however, you should consider the following issues:

Suitable jobs. Many jobs are suited to flextime—most office positions, sales jobs, computer programming and so forth. But you probably need to have the receptionist on duty during normal work hours, or all workers on a given assembly line shift. The nature of the work will determine which, if any, flexible scheduling options will suit your business.

Staffing requirements. How many people do you need on the premises, and when do you need them? Flexible schedules have to be designed so that enough employees are on hand when you need them. That can make setting up flextime a bit complicated.

Internal communications. If employees work different hours, you have to find ways to ensure that coordination doesn’t suffer.

Overtime. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, if a nonexempt worker puts in more than 40 hours in one week, the employer has to pay time-and-a-half overtime for the extra hours—even if the employee works fewer than 40 hours the following week and not more than 80 hours in a two-week period. So unless you want to pay a lot of overtime, your flextime schedule needs to fit within a single week.

Fairness issues. Offering flextime to only some workers may cause resentment among those who can’t take advantage of it. Address this concern before announcing flexible scheduling options, and explain your reasoning to all employees.

Policy Considerations

Here are some flextime options that are working for a variety of companies, both large and small:

• Staggering the schedules for starting and ending workdays so that employees can choose the hours that work best with their family commitments.
• Scheduling some longer workdays so that employees can enjoy periodic three-day weekends. Under the popular “9-80” schedule, employees work 80 hours over nine days, with every other Friday off.
• Compressing the workweek into 10-hour shifts four days a week so that employees get a full day off every week.
• Establishing core hours when employees are required to be on the job to provide peak coverage during the busiest time of day.
• Offering expanded lunch periods so that employees can choose either to clock out for a midday break of an hour or more, or stick to a half-hour break, not clock out, and get home earlier.