As a precaution, it’s a good idea to train managers ahead of time to better manage the staff under them — ensuring that flexibility in the workweek doesn’t come at the expense of productivity or quality of work. A flexible work schedule is an alternative to the traditional 9 to 5, 40-hour work week. In cases where the employer rejects the employee’s request, the employee must receive a formal letter stating the reasons for the rejection. A flexible schedule involves either a compressed workweek or flexible starting and stopping times. Utilizing a flexible work schedule policy allows employees to modify their arrival and departure times, how long they work, or from where they work. It’ll be a good idea to talk to key managers ahead of time and help them understand the big picture. Customer satisfaction can in no way be impacted by an employee’s flexible work schedule. Here are some important sections to include in a flexible work schedule policy: In the first section of the policy, you should explain why the business is implementing a flexible work schedule. But small businesses (companies with 500 or fewer employees) have precious little data on this growing trend. In this article, we take a look at why you need a flexible work arrangement for your company. 2. Flexible work schedules are voluntary work schedules that are approved by supervisors or managers. This means it won’t be so hard for him to actually request to change his regular schedule into a flex schedule. (click on the links to jump to a section), (Note: The first few sections cover the basics of flexible schedule policies and what they should cover. These might include: Make sure to add if there will be trial periods along with their duration. The option also reduces employee turnover, absenteeism, and tardiness by allowing workers to flex hours around home and family obligations. Every day brings new projects, emails, documents, and task lists, and often it is not that different from the work you have done before. Step 6: The decision will be revisited if the employee’s productivity or efficiency fall. Step 4: If approved, the employee and manager will meet to discuss the details of the arrangement and agree on the goals and responsibilities of the employee. Flexible work arrangements (FWAs) can come in many forms, including telecommuting, compressed workweeks and flex-ible scheduling that allows employees … An easy way to start compiling your organization's policy is by downloading this Flexible Work Schedule Policy template now! As technology evolves, these policies are only going to become more accessible. It’s important to list which flexible work option will be available to employees and clearly distinguish between them.  |   Some positions won’t be eligible for a flexible work arrangement as employees need to be present every day, such as those in the finance department. Flexible work arrangements An alternative work arrangement is defined as a regular, recurring work schedule that falls within the standard workweek and is anything other than five consecutive eight-hour work days — for example, working four consecutive ten-hour workdays during the week. Think about the availability of the employee for frequent communication, required attendance at meetings, the length of time required to respond to a … The University encourages and authorizes individual departments to implement flexible work schedules to meet business needs. Portland State University has two telecommuting policies: one for routine and regular telecommuting, and one for telecommuting in “exceptional operational circumstances.” Their general policy for routine telecommuting is very thorough and some specific points stand out: 1. It’s important to note that you may need to modify certain parts to meet your organization’s needs. As such, by creating a company culture that values individual preferences, you’ll find happier employees are more productive employees. However, for most roles, we view working from home part of the time (less than 50%) as now standard – assuming manager and team alignment. Which is why we surveyed hundreds of small business employees to create The State of Flexible Work Arrangements, which released today. Required fields are marked *. With a flex-time schedule, non-exempt employees are still subject to all requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. 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