It’s been several years since employers started exploiting the full potential of flexible working conditions in the workplace. In 2020, it was a forced measure to introduce remote and hybrid working models. However, both employers and employees have had enough time to discover and experience those advantages. Flexitime became one of the flexibility options and went viral due to allowing people to achieve a better work-life balance.
In our article, we’ll have a closer look at flexitime, discuss its benefits and drawbacks, and provide some advice on how both employers and employees can make the most of the flexi-time policy in their workplace.
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Before jumping to conclusions about the model’s effectiveness, it’s good to grasp the fundamental knowledge about it: where flexitime comes from and what exactly it implies.
The GOV.UK official website says that flexitime is when an individual can adjust their way of working to their personal needs by choosing when they start, finish, or have a lunch break. So, it’s still an 8-hour working day but with an opportunity to organically combine one’s working hours and personal requirements: whether it’s a doctor’s appointment or an important family event, an employee doesn’t need to report about or explain the importance of the situation to their manager.
A German sociologist, Christel Kammere, invented the flexible working hours arrangement system and improved the lives of millions of people in the 1960s. In the UK, the ‘Flexitime’ trademark was registered in 1971, and only in the early 2000s the British government allowed flexible working arrangements to be incorporated into law:
First things first: why flexitime is a good idea. We’ve already mentioned that an opportunity to manage your own working time feels like your organisation values you. But there is definitely something more.
Our world will become much better once employers realise that the secret of their workers’ productivity and engagement is their well-being. The more free time a person has for their family, pets, hobbies, health, or whatever else, the more content and fulfilled they become. It’s bound to have a positive impact on their performance.
An unhealthy worker, whether physically or mentally, will obviously work less productively than the one who feels good. Is it possible to feel good when you must constantly work overtime, pass seven circles of hell to be allowed to go to the doctor’s, or when a crazy workload allows no time for a lunch break? Flexitime solves all these problems.
By introducing flexitime at your workplace, employers help their employees feel valued and appreciated. As a result of such empowerment, conscious workers become more responsive, engaged, and loyal to their employers. High morale, in turn, is the key to a better productivity level and lower turnover and absenteeism levels. The tandem of these two factors will inevitably lead any business to success.
Unfortunately, there is a cloud to every silver lining, and flexible working hours aren’t an exception. There is why.
Give someone an inch, and they’ll take a mile. Giving too much freedom to workers who aren’t conscious enough or who aren’t used to it may well be fraught with abuse. Suppose you, as a manager or boss, are going to introduce flex time to your workers for the first time in their practice. In that case, it’s necessary to ensure they are ready to use it properly.
Tip for an employer: Consult with HR on creating a document that clearly explains how the system is supposed to be used and what implications will be awaiting those who abuse their freedom.
When everybody has to work fixed hours, it’s easy to trace if employees follow this rule. When every worker can choose when they work, it can become a challenge, especially for medium-sized and large companies.
Tip for an employer: It may make sense to introduce time-tracking software where employees (especially remote) will input data about their working hours. Another option is workspace management software, which has a space or desk booking function. That will help to see how long, when, and by whom office space is used.
Another thing that must be carefully considered when introducing workplace flexibility is maintaining team dynamics on the same level. A fixed work schedule gathers all employees at one time in one place, making them reachable in any unexpected situation.
Tip for an employer: As a boss, you may keep some core hours in your workers’ everyday schedules when all the members are reachable.
According to Statista, in 2023, there are about 4.5 million people on flexitime contracts in the United Kingdom, which is 1.2 million more than in 2013. The model will hardly lose popularity and probably become even more in demand, as it really contributes to employees’ well-being and overall working environment improvement.
For this reason, we’ve come up with more practical advice on making the most of the flexitime model for both employees and employers.
We’ve already discussed some ideas on tackling the flexitime challenges an employer can face. However, there are some more:
The most common issues employees face when dealing with flexitime work hours are lack of discipline and failing to consistently or timely keep logs. The first challenge can be solved with the help of a time-management course aimed at organising effective workflow in the conditions of flexitime. Usually, it’s the boss’s responsibility to provide such.
Keeping logs has to become a part of your daily agenda, like checking mail or drinking coffee. It might be hard to remember at first. Still, Google Calendar and numerous notification apps are here to assist with the issue.
Sources
GOV.UK
Mothers and Daughters of Invention: Notes for a Revised History of Technology
Hill Dickinson
Statista
