Benefits of Flexible Work Schedules

Flexible work environments are becoming increasingly popular as flexible work schedules allow employees to balance their work and life. Employees have a sense of control as they are in control of when they work and even where they work from. However, fear of accountability loss looms over many employers. Incorporating flexible schedules in your workplace does not mean accountability is at risk.

Here are some benefits of flexible work schedules, tips for success, and examples.

What Is a Flexible Work Schedule?

A flexible work schedule is an alternative to traditional 9-to-5, 40-hour work weeks. Sometimes referred to as flex-hours, flexible work schedules allow employees to vary their arrival and / or departure times to give a greater work-life balance. 

Flexible work schedules can also apply to hybrid work, working some days in the office and some at home. 

Benefits of Flexible Work Schedules

People have different work habits and are effective at different times of the day and in different locations. 

Therefore, sitting at a desk surrounded by other employees might not be the most effective and productive environment for all of your employees.  Some people might do their best work first thing in the morning at the office, while others might find they can concentrate better when they are outside late at night, or anything in between. 

Flexible schedules mean your employees could be determining their own hours, having shorter work weeks, or remotely working. No matter the case, as long as there are strong guidelines, you can be assured you’ll receive high-quality work.

Employees are seeking flexible work hours and environments now more than ever. With your employees having control over their own time, they are happier and healthier, and you may even find more productivity in your employees.

Employees who have a positive outlook on the company they work for are also more inclined to put in a few extra hours. Flexibility does not mean you’ve lost accountability.

In fact, think about it: if you assign someone a task and they perform it exceptionally well, does it really matter where they performed it or when? 

How to Implement Effective Flexible Schedules

The first step to keeping accountability in a flexible work environment seems very simple: hold your employees accountable with guidelines, policies, and procedures. 

When goals and expectations are clear, you’ll have fewer questions as to whether or not someone is performing their job to satisfaction. After that, you'll want to determine the number of hours needed for success and hold employees to that schedule.

You'll also want to ensure that you have a method to accurately track hours worked by employees. This can be easily accomplished with modern timekeeping software. Correctly determining the number of hours your employees work is vital for a flexible schedule to operate.

The larger the workplace, the harder it may feel to determine how many hours your employees are putting in, especially if they are on a flexible schedule. Using technology allows you to monitor accurately and with detail, the time your employees have put in. Even if our employees are offsite, with technology, they are always connected.

Get the Technology Necessary to Implement Flexible Employee Schedules

Using manual, paper, or outdated processes makes implementing flexible employee schedules nearly impossible. If you aren't allowing for some flexibility, whether it is via hours, locations, or both, your business may fall behind in the competition for talent or find trouble in retaining employees. 

To learn more about the power of modern timekeeping software, and the tools included in our employee scheduler, contact us today.