The Pros and Cons of a Flexible Work Schedule

The Pros and Cons of a Flexible Work ScheduleThe Pros and Cons of a Flexible Work ScheduleAdvantages for employers and employees exist when the employerallows employees towork flexible schedules. Whether the flexible work schedule involves compressing work days, flexible daily hours, or telecommuting, challenges exist for the employer and the employee. Lets take a look at the advantages for employers and employees thatnegotiating a flexible work schedule provides. Employee Flexibility With flexible work schedules, employees stand to experience a good number of benefits. One that many workers point to first is the flexibility to meet family needs, personal obligations, and life responsibilities conveniently. If you have a flexible schedule, you can go to a parent-teacher conference during the day, take a yoga class, or be home when the washing machine repair person comes. Flexible work configurations allow employees to work when they accomplish most, feel freshest, and enjoy worki ng. Many managers feel that early birds are hard workers and night owls are slackers. Theres no evidence that that is the case- its simply cultural. Employee Commute Flexible scheduling includes the ability to adjust the days and hours of being in the office and also allows workers to work remotely. Of course, with the commute to a home workspace, employees avoid the traffic and the stresses of commuting during rush hours. You might be amazed at how much faster a commute can be if you can drive to the office at 1000 instead of 800. Employees save money by having a reduced consumption of commuting time and fuel costs. In some areas, commutes of more than an hour each way are elend uncommon. If ansicht employees are allowed to work from home, that saves two hours of time, gas, and wear and tear on the road. Not to mention, fewer people driving means its easier for those people who are commuting. Employee Empowerment Employees get an increased feeling of personal control over s chedule and work environment. One reason people like to work for themselves is the control issue. By allowing employees todetermine their own schedule and work environment, you appeal to the entrepreneurial spirit- which can be good for your employees. Built-in flexibility also reduces employee burnout due to overload. Flexibility means employees can take a break when they need it without incurring the wrath of a boss. Employee Childcare Costs Depending on the flexible work schedule chosen, may decrease external childcare hours and costs. It needs to be clear that for all but a handful of jobs, working from home still requires childcare because you cant work effectively while also entertaining a toddler. However, if a couple both have flexible schedules, Mom can go into the office at 600 a.m. and Dad can get the kids ready for school. Moms 8-hour day is finished by 200 p.m. and she can meet the bus at 300 p.m., while Dad starts his workday at 930 a.m. The result is two full-time jobs and incomes with no childcare costs. Top AdvantagesFOR EMPLOYEESFlexibility to better meet family and personal needsReduced commuting time and gas expensesHave more control over your time schedule and working environmentCan work during the hours that fit your energy cycles bestFOR EMPLOYERSBoosts employee moraleReduces tardiness and absenteeismReduces employee turnoverEnhances company image as a family-friendly place to workTop DisadvantagesFOR EMPLOYEESDifficult for office-based staff to work as effectively with telecommuting staffWorking from home may mislead loved ones about your availabilityNo clear dividing line between home and workFOR EMPLOYERSSome employees may not work efficiently without supervisionCompressed work weeks may mean client availability suffersFeelings of unfairness when only certain employees have work that can be done remotely Employers Gain Commitment With flexible work schedules, employers experience benefits as well. Giving up some control of wor k schedules gives increased employee morale, engagement, and commitment to the organization. The option also reducesemployee turnover, absenteeism, and tardiness by allowing workers to flex hours around home and family obligations. The flow of projects and work may increase as employees are able to work when they accomplish most, feel freshest, and enjoy working. Employer Business Improvements Offering flexible work schedules will increase your ability torecruitoutstanding employees. You will develop an image as an employer of choicewith family-friendly flexible work schedules. Providing options can extend your hours of operation which is especially important for departments such as customer service. Cloud technology allows workers to anflug documents outside the office environment. In some businesses, this allows the company to expand its area of service to other time zones or even globally. Using remote worker options, the business can hire workers from areas where hourly wage s are lower and reduce their compensation overhead. However, care must be taken that the drive to lower wages does not harm the quality product of the service you provide. Overhead costs may drop when you employ remote workers. You will reduce the square footage requirements of office space and the cost of desks, chairs, computers, and other necessary equipment. Disadvantages for Employees Employees who thrive in an office environment may find it difficult to work when colleagues dont hold the same schedule. Team efforts may require advanced planning and coordination of the employee scheduled workdays and hours. This is why many employers require core days and core hours during which everyone is in the office. There is no clear delineation between work and home. When you use flexible schedules sometimes that means work all of the time. If your boss allows you the flexibility to go to to your childs soccer game, then the boss may not feel guilty about calling you at 930 p.m. Remo te workers can often make neighbors and friends think you arent actually working, thus causing problems with relationships. Family and friends can become upset when you say you cant watch their child, or let the repairman into their houses- because, after all, youre home all day. Working from home- while becoming more common- is still a foreign concept to many people. Disadvantages for Employers Some managers, who are used to seeing when their staff members come to work, watching what staff do all day at work, and knowing when people leave for home, have troubleadjusting to the new management stylewhichrequires trust. Also, in team-oriented departments, teams still need to meet, whichrequires set guidelines and the juggling of schedules. Some people take advantage of the flexibility and the ability to work from home. If an employee requires structure, they may find it difficult to focus on work and not the household chores and entertainment. Office-oriented people sometimes view their work-at-home colleagues as slackers because they cant physically see their productivity. Compressed workweeks can make client handovers complicated- clients expect service 5 days a week during business hours and can be fussy when an employee isnt in on Friday. For this customer-centric reason, jobs that require customer-facing responsibilities only allow certain types of flextime. Whole days working from home are not an option. Other kinds of jobs such as assembly-line manufacturing and hands-on healthcare such as nursing share the same disadvantages. Employers struggle with fairness when only certain employees can work remotely. Overall, the advantages generally outweigh the disadvantages and a good manager can handle the disadvantages. Flexible scheduling has become part of what employees are looking for intheir comprehensive employee benefits packages. Your employees will love you the employer will benefit from overall positive morale which is linked to increased productiv ity. Best? You will retain your oben liegend employees.