One of the biggest perks that prospective employees are looking for these days are flexible hours. The COVID-19 alterations to the traditional office and work schedule have made flexible working hours even more of a consideration.
While flexible work hours are attractive to employees perhaps more than employers, when executed well, the benefits can be felt for everyone.
First, What are Flexible Work Hours?
Flexible work hours are exactly that – flexible. As opposed to a traditional schedule, like 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., workers can perform their tasks before these hours, during these hours, and after these hours. There really aren’t many parameters established in a flexible schedule, until you and your employee set them.
Upon implementation of a flexible schedule, you will meet with your employee to determine which blocks of time he will be working. This will help create reliability and structure which can help the team function well, even when people are working on their own schedules.
As you may see, flexible hours will take coordination. While that may seem like a hassle, it still may be worth considering. Take a look at the pros and cons to help you decide if it will work for your workers.
What Are The Benefits of Flexible Hours
Here are a few ways that a flexible schedule can be beneficial to your company.
Work-Life Balance
With a flexible schedule, your workers will be able to structure their workday and personal life (doctor appointments, kids’ activities) to be in harmony. This can help a parent be a supportive figure for their child while still getting their work done. When a worker feels like they have some control over how this balance can be created, it helps them feel motivated and empowered.
Increased Productivity
The positive vibes from a greater work-life balance can actually increase overall productivity. Whether they are working from home at a time of day when their creative juices are flowing, or they’re coming in early and beating congested traffic, you may find that a flexible schedule actually increases your workers’ productivity overall.
Greater Employee Satisfaction
It almost goes without saying that when an employee has a flexible schedule and is able to achieve a work-life balance while also increasing their productivity, a greater overall job satisfaction occurs. Obviously, if this is what occurs because of flexible hours, the considerations will have been worth it.
Ability to Avoid Wasted Time (Commuter Traffic!)
A somewhat small, yet significant detail to consider is how flexible hours may positively impact the commute for your employees. If your employees are wasting hours in the car just because they are driving during peak traffic times, this can begin to wear down and deflate job enthusiasm. If a slight tweak to the working hours literally gives your employees the gift of time, it can have a great, positive effect.
Disadvantages of Flexible Hours
While all that sounds amazing, there are also some downsides to flexible hours. Here’s what you will need to consider/problem-solve if you implement a flexible schedule.
Difficult to Coordinate Schedules
When your workers are able to collaborate with you to create their flexible schedules, you will potentially have several different schedules to consider when people need to have a meeting. While this is not terribly complicated with today’s scheduling systems, it won’t be as easy as when everyone is working the same schedule.
Lack of Boundaries
Even though employees are working flexible hours, and potentially different flexible hours, boundaries are crucial. If Sally needs an answer from Hank at 9 p.m. because she is working but he just finished at 7 p.m., then it will need to be clarified if this is an urgent matter or just something Hank can get to at his next time on the clock. There are ways to mitigate and manage this issue, but it must be something that everyone understands so people are on the same page about expectations and boundaries.
Less Structure
With more flexibility comes less structure, especially for the company as a whole. While each employee may be structured in their life with these flexible hours, the company loses an element of structure. This will only be OK if managers are confident and trustworthy of their workers, and of course if the workers are honest and motivated with their work.
Less Coworker Camaraderie
One of the biggest elements lost when a company implements flexible hours is the magic of company culture. While it can still be done, it takes more effort and is potentially less genuine or organic. When everyone is working together at the same time or in the same place, side conversations or interactions can happen spontaneously which can help create a healthy work environment. If things are less structured with flexible hours, then you are left to orchestrate gatherings, which for some workers may seem annoying, even if they enjoyed chatting at the water cooler.
Deciding whether or not flexible hours are a good benefit for your employees is a tough one. Weighing these ideas is a solid place to start and bouncing them off with members of the management team is another important step. You can also seek the insights of your staffing agency partner if you have one.
Find Workers Who Can Meet Your Needs
Whether you’re in need of several positions or just a few, finding the best worker to fit your needs can be hard. Make sure you find the best candidates for each open position so you’ll have less turnover and greater success. Contact Expert Staffing for a partner in this quest.
