Flexible Work Hours

In this time of two-income households, flexible work hours make sense for responsible employees. Flexible work hours breed trust on the part of both employee and employer, and a sense of gratitude on the part of the employee.

A flexible schedule may work for an employee under the following conditions:

• If the employee has a job that doesn't require her presence at all times during normal working hours, or if someone else can easily fill-in for her during the time she is away,
• If the job responsibilities are more measured by results rather than by hours on the clock,
• If the employee can work longer hours to make up for days off.

As is the case with most good employee programs, there are benefits to the employer as well as the employee. These include:

• Happier and more loyal employees,
• Positive word of mouth about the company.
• With appropriate scheduling, longer periods of overall coverage (without overtime) which result from employees working longer hours during working days in exchange for more days off.

In a good flexible arrangement, care should be taken to ensure that the expectations of both parties are clear. It may be necessary to have the employee agree in writing to the parameters of the flexible working arrangement. Some of the items to address include:

• Identification of particular times/days to be taken off.
• What happens during work weeks shortened by holidays?
• Who fills in while the employee is gone?