Why Flextime Policy Was Created

As society has moved into the twenty-first century, more families are finding that in order to make ends meet, both parents need to join the workforce.

Also, there are millions of single parents struggling to help support their children and still be involved in their lives as much as possible.

As a result, the demands of these working parents to meet their children’s needs forced them to choose between working at a job they loved and were good at vs. finding a position that would allow them the time to handle their children’s schedules and needs.

Employers began to notice an increase in the number of employees who were asking for permission to come in late or leave early for family responsibilities. During the early days of these new styles of demands, they could deny the requests or inform the employee that work comes first. However, when more of their top employees were asking for these privileges, they had to come up with a different solution.

Businesses still need to be productive, so the flextime policy came into existence. By offering employees flex-time, businesses can attract the best workers while giving them the ability to work a schedule that is best suited for them.

How to Manage Flextime Policy Efficiently

When you are responsible for scheduling, using flextime can seem like a nightmare, especially when your team is working on a project that requires close communication and multiple meetings.

With today’s technology, you can effectively and efficiently manage teams of employees who all rely on flextime policy for their busy lives.

• The first step in managing flextime policy in a business is to understand each employee’s particular scheduling demands. If you know that two members of your team will tend to arrive later than the normal nine o’clock start time on certain days, and other members will leave early, then you can focus your meeting times toward the middle of the day.
• Lunchtime meetings can be an effective way to go over project details, discuss deadlines, and determine if the goals you’ve established are still feasible or if adjustments need to be made.
• Another strategy for dealing with flextime would be to cluster your employees based on their working schedules. Those employees who tend to leave early and come in early should be assigned to the same team. Those who are late arrivals should be united as well. Any employees whose schedule varies might constitute the ideal go-between, or team leader as he or she will have the most opportunity to have face-to-face interaction with everyone.

What to Avoid with Flextime Policy

Abuse is one of the greatest concerns of employers who offer flextime to their staff.

If you have salaried employees, it can be especially difficult to determine who is working the required minimum number of hours.

With so many people coming in and leaving at different times, there will almost invariably be those who take advantage of it.

Add a time tracking method, either by using a punch clock or software program than can be installed on specific computers in the office. Require every employee to check in and out, regardless of their pay scale. That way you will be able to determine who, if anyone, is taking advantage of this great perk.

Summary

Flextime policy is a powerful way to entice the best employees to your company as well as keep them happy.

While money is one of the most enticing offers from a company, those extra benefits, the things that businesses offer to its staff, can be just as powerful. From health insurance to flextime policy, when your company is an attractive place to work, you will find that the best in the industry want to work for you.

Do you have any experience with either using flextime or managing a flextime policy?