DGM ENTERPRISE

DGM ENTERPRISE
Flex-Hour Program
Presenter: Grace Newell
Introduction
Employees are attracted to flexible work schedules that allow them to balance their home and
work lives. Flex time helps employees meet the unpredictable demands of family life, illness and
personal emergencies. At the same time, flexible work options decrease employee stress, reduce
sick leave, and increase productivity.
There are four types of flexible work schedules: job sharing, flextime, compressed workweek
and telecommuting. These types of work arrangements are ideal for single parents, full-time
workers who are also in school and individuals caring for a sick or elderly family member. As a
positive benefit for both employers and employees, flexible work schedules support employee
engagement, positive morale, and retention.
Benefits
Advantages of Flexible Work Schedules for Employees
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Flexibility to meet family needs, personal obligations, and life responsibilities
Reduce commuting time and fuel costs.
Avoids traffic and the stresses of commuting during rush hours.
Increased feeling of personal control over schedule and work environment.
Reduces employee burnout due to work overload.
Depending on the flexible work schedule chosen, may reduce childcare hours and costs.
Advantages of Flexible Work Schedules for Employers
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Increased employee morale, engagement, and commitment to the organization.
Reduced absenteeism and tardiness.
Reduced turnover
Decrease in overhead costs.
Increased employee retention
Extended hours of service for different time zones such as customer service.
Develops image as an employer of choice with family friendly flexible work schedules.
Increased employee satisfaction
Increased productivity and efficiency
Reduces air pollution with fewer cars on the road. Good for the environment.
Staggered Hours/Flextime
Another growing flex time initiative is staggered hours – working a full work week during
unconventional hours that best suit the employee’s schedule. Staggered hours are beneficial to
women with school-aged children, employees pursuing an advanced degree and others with
significant obligations outside the office. Staggered hours also allow a company to address the
needs of its clients at all hours by increasing the span of employee presence. If you seek flexible
arrangements but don’t want to reduce your work schedule or compensation, a staggered hour
arrangement might work for you. For example, an employee who arrives every day at 6 a.m. and
leaves at 3p.m. to pick up children from school would be ideal for this schedule.
Job Sharing
Job sharing is another flex time option to achieve work life balance in the workplace. Job sharing
enables two employees to share one position. Generally, the salary for the position is split
between both employees based on the percentage of time worked. Job resources, such as
workspace, computer, and office supplies, are also shared. Through job sharing, you can enjoy
all the benefits of your present position – benefits, status, skills enhancement – while enjoyed a
reduced schedule.
Compressed Work Week
A compressed workweek allows an employee to work a traditional 35-40 hour workweek in less
than five workdays. Work four 10-hour days each week and then enjoy a three day weekend, or
work 80 hours in nine days with an extra day off every other week.
Telecommuting
Telecommuting is a work arrangement in which the employee works outside the office, often
working from home. Telecommuting allows a worker greater freedom regarding his or her work
hours and work location. Telecommuters must be self-motivated and have good time
management skills.
The worker may occasionally enter the office to attend meetings and touch base with the
employer. However, telecommuters can attend meetings from home with videoconferencing
capabilities.
Disadvantages of Flexible Work Schedules for Employees
Less Teamwork
Although companies with flextime often use core hours to encourage teamwork, employees that
work inconsistent schedules cannot spend as much time in collaboration with coworkers as
employees that work the same hours. Employees may only have a few hours a day for this
collaboration. In some workplaces, work team communication takes place in an ongoing and
spontaneous fashion that is hard to limit to just a few hours. Flextime can slow down the pace
of work team production because of this restricted collaboration.
Risk of Burnout
Employees who opt for a flexible work schedule, which includes a compressed work week, may
experience burnout from working long hours for consecutive days in a row. Burnout can
slow down productivity in the workplace, leaving employees susceptible to errors, moody
behavior towards co-workers and interfere with their ability to concentrate on tasks.
Inequity
With flexible work schedule, coworkers may become envious if they don't have the same
flexibility. This can become stressful for the employee and can have a negative impact on the
work environment, leading to friction between team members.
Availability Concerns
Companies who allow employees to work flexible schedules must take into consideration the
hours customers need employees to be available for taking orders and answering questions.
Availability can cause concerns if customers' needs are not met because of scheduling.
Plan and Implement
Step 1
If the organization decides to implement a flexible work schedule, it would need to consider the
positions that would be affected. Require employees to get approval to work on a flex schedule.
This will allow the business to consider the effects of flexible working on a case-by-case basis. It
also allows for the policy to be phased in gradually.
Establish a six month review policy that will evaluate the flextime program. This can determine
how well the program is working.
Step 2
Consult with the employees who will be affected. Ask how it will affect their work/life balance
and what outcomes they hope for.
Step 3
Determine set hours that employees can work or discuss whether they can set their own hours.
Manage
Step 1
Create a written policy on a newly-developed flex schedule, so that the rules are clear to
everyone. Point out that the business has the right to revoke flextime privileges if work needs are
being compromised.
Step 2
Create weekly timesheets that can be completed by the employee and verified and signed by a
manager.
Step 3
If an employee works from home, ensure that he or she has the proper equipment needed such as
a computer system and any office supplies required for the job.

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