Using remote worker options, the business can hire workers from areas where hourly wages are lower and reduce their compensation overhead. These opportunities increased during the coronavirus pandemic. about working hours, flexible working and time off: • Information about when an employer is responsible for what other people do, such as workers employed by them. You might be dependent on your income to support your family, you might love your job and want to build a career, but caring for a partner, relative or friend at the same time can make it difficult to balance work and life at home. In Germany there are strict legal limits on working hours: you are not permitted to work more than eight hours per day. But, today's employees demand more from their employers, especially Millennial employees. Employees who thrive in an office environment may find it difficult to work when colleagues don't hold the same schedule. The quality and quantity of the work must also reflect the efforts of a full-time employee. How to Ask for Flexible Working Hours. Flexible … At one of my former places of employment, we kind of, sort of had flex hours. This will limit any confusion or uneven or unfair implementation across your organization. In a non-exempt workplace, often industrial, production, warehousing, or customer-facing such as retail, medical caregiving, grocery, and service stations, a flexible schedule depends on the amount of interdependence required in the work. Any employee (other than an employee shareholder, see below) with 26 weeks of service with the same employer has the right to make a request to work flexibly; you don’t have to be a parent or carer. You will retain your superior employees. Depending on the flexible work schedule chosen, it may decrease external childcare hours and costs. But, if they can achieve them with only 15-20 hours in the office and working remotely the rest of the time, more power to them. The right to request leave 21 4. Understanding the impact of flexible working on employees’ daily experiences. Am I correct in saying a Flexible Working request to work from home to look after a baby is not feasible? In some areas, commutes of more than an hour each way are not uncommon. Especially with the online Europass CV. Flexible hours and other flexible working arrangements are generally at the discretion of employers and are not covered by specific legislation. The result is two full-time jobs and incomes with no childcare costs. A flexible working arrangements trial (eg for 12 weeks) will give both you and the employee a chance to find out whether the proposed arrangement will really work out well in practice. Employer Expectations in a Flexible Workplace Environment, The Pros and Cons of a Flexible Work Schedule, Employee Work Schedules That Encourage Flexibility and Success, Here's a Sample Inclement Weather Policy for Your Business. Report. Variation is usually in terms of start and finish times, as well as hours per day. If you have children and a job, flexible working could be the holy grail that helps your life run more smoothly. Evidence is not readily available that this is the case—in fact, much evidence to the contrary exists with either night owl or early bird personal choice yielding positives—it's simply cultural and preferential to a person's needs. These are the approaches most commonly used. Fewer people driving means the drive is easier for those people who are commuting. Many mothers prefer flexible working hours . 3. When the employee works hours that are different than the agreed-upon schedule, the employee must keep the manager informed so that accountability exists in the schedule. Or, the employer may allow a flexible schedule that becomes the employee’s regular schedule, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. every day, for example. from Hy-Vee, Inc. employees. This information applies to people living in England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland. The diary is supplemented by a brief review of how flexible time arrangements in the business world. The employee’s working pattern does not have to match their pay period (for example, an employee could be contracted to 40 hours a week but be paid monthly). I want to request flexible working hours but I know I could not fulfil the job completely in the hours I will be requesting. Your contract will state the number of hours you must work, but you decide when you work them. Willing to try new ideas and expand current experience and knowledge. She has covered HR for The Balance Careers since 2000. Office-oriented people sometimes view their work-at-home colleagues as slackers because they can't physically see their activity and productivity. You might be able to make a ‘flexible working request’ to your employer if you want to: reduce your hours to work part-time. Compressed workweeks can make client handovers complicated—clients expect service 5 days a week during business hours and can be fussy when a particular employee isn't in on Friday. Flexible work is evolving rapidly, its permutations are proliferating; you could say it has gone viral. 48 Shares. Willing to try new ideas and expand current experience and knowledge. . Excellent time-management skills; flexible and dependable. A flexible schedule involves either a compressed workweek or flexible starting and stopping times. When you write to your employer asking for flexible working hours, it is a good idea to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Flexible scheduling has become part of what employees are looking for in their comprehensive employee benefits packages. Don’t want to work the 9-5? Even if you’re confident that a flexible schedule will lead to a more balanced life for you and boost your productivity for your company, it can still be difficult to ask your boss for flex. A flexible schedule is also dependent on employee availability to cover all aspects of the job and all hours of the day during which a business makes products or serves customers. 7. For example, when a worker is not required to work a standard 9am to 5pm day, but can choose hours before or after this time frame to complete a day’s work. Flexible working hours are becoming increasingly popular in the modern working place. Helping an employee to make a request for flexible working 16 9. Get answers to your biggest company questions on Indeed. Cloud technology allows workers to touch documents outside the office environment. Benefits of flexible working hours The right to request flexible working and parental leave 20 3. Family and friends can become upset when you say you can't watch their child, or let the repairman into their houses—because, after all, you're home all day. Managers’ FAQs 29 6. Unions would like m She has covered HR for The Balance Careers since 2000. Other kinds of jobs such as assembly-line manufacturing and hands-on healthcare such as nursing share the same disadvantages. Flexible working hours are often referred to as flexi time. Part-time: Working less than the normal hours, less hours in a day or less days in a week. In the past, flexibility has meant that an employee might work 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. every day as an option that gave the employee an extra hour in the morning in exchange for losing an hour in the late afternoon. read more; Losing your job. Understanding the impact of flexible working on employees’ daily experiences. Get answers to your biggest company questions on Indeed. With this core belief, I would like to continue my growth in your company. I reduced my working week from 35 too 25 hours (5 hours per day) to ensure I could take and collect my child from school. Those that may be particularly relevant for parents of children with SEN include (any combination of): part time hours; home-working; compressed hours (where there is no change in hours, but they are worked in fewer but longer days) Flexible or ‘Agile’ Working. In a flexible environment, trust is a significant factor. Downvote. Then work from 11-7 instead and decide when you take your lunch break (if you take one at all). Best practice examples 24 5. You have the right to request flexible working if you are an employee with 26 weeks (six months) continuous employment at … How to Optimize Productivity While Working From Home. The right to request leave 21 4. You can change your working hours here. The most sought-after way of working, this gives you absolute flexibility on your hours each day. The academic firm supports continuing education, further education, and life-long learning of its employees and has in principle a positive attitude in favor of a flexibility concerning the load of working hours and their flexible adaptation for their employees and their needs (full time, part time, perhaps shifting back-and-forth) but also for partial absence or partial leave of its employees. Flexible working: the basics. Hours* - Minimum guarantee of 10 hours per week with the opportunity for up to 20 hours work. The advantages when a flexible schedule is allowed, to both employers and employees, are key as you implement a flexible schedule. These challenges have multiplied during the coronavirus pandemic as unheard of numbers of employees, for reasons of safety, are working remotely from home. A flexible schedule allows an employee to work hours that differ from the normal company start and stop time. By allowing employees to determine their own schedule and work environment, you appeal to the entrepreneurial spirit—which can be good for your employees. However, there is flexibility regarding when they come in and leave. Flexible working could help you to balance your work and caring responsibilities. There are various ways in which flexibility of working can be organised. You need to make clear to employees that for all but a handful of jobs, working from home still requires childcare because you can't work effectively while also entertaining a toddler. What to ask for with Flexible Working Hours. Stress can also lead to burnout and poor health in employees. If these employees are allowed to work from home, that saves two hours of time, gas, and wear and tear on the road. Giving up some control of work schedules gives increased employee morale, engagement, and commitment to the organization. Flexibility means employees can take a break when they need it without incurring the wrath of a manager. Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, for example having flexible start and finish times, or working from home. Answered September 17, 2020 - Surgical Technician (Former Employee) - … This is important for employers to communicate and for employees to understand or a disconnect will cause tension and conflict between the employer and the employee. If your manager allows you the flexibility to go to your child's soccer game, then the manager may not feel guilty about calling you at 9:30 p.m. Some people take advantage of the flexibility and the ability to work from home. This means that employees must be at work from, for example, 10 am to 1 pm. In all flexible schedules, the employer expects a full-time employee to work the required hours or more. Very flexible . It also gives flexibility on a week to week basis, so you can do extra hours one week and then have a full day off the next, wi… Here’s what you need to know. This can include: working from home one or more days a week. @Avon but am I correct in saying that is something you would say in a cover letter? • Information about reasonable adjustments to remove barriers if you are a disabled person. They are still responsible for performing a whole job and achieving the goals of their position. Flexible working time when employees choose to shift their everyday schedule by starting the day later or leaving earlier. We can also use the term ‘flexible scheduling’ instead of flexible schedule. In this schedule, employers may require that employees work core hours, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., as an example. Helping an employee to make a request for flexible working 16 9. Share 26. Flexible working describes a working pattern that is modified to an employee’s personal needs in mind. Flexible scheduling includes the ability to adjust the days and hours of being in the office and also allows workers to work remotely. Have a read! Tweet 22. This type of regular schedule that strays from the normal working hours is generally agreed upon by the employee and his or her manager. By ‘Flexible Working’ the government means altering the way you work. This is why many employers require core days and core hours during which everyone is in the office or available for Zoom meetings. Talk to other people in your company and elsewhere who have negotiated flexible working hours and ask them about their experiences and tips. (Any regularly scheduled work hours allow an extra hour for lunch whether the employee takes the time or not.). Average Salary: $57,957 (£41,790) 14. GUI Junkie if you don't mind me pointing out; the phrase "willingness to work flexible hours" was already present in your question, so I suggested shift which is nevertheless perfectly valid, clear and unambiguous. Teleworking means working remotely, i.e., far from your employer. Post coronavirus concerns, working life may have altered forever as employers and employees became convinced of the efficacy of remote work. Some employers have a daily ‘core time‘ policy. I am also an email respondent. Built-in flexibility also reduces employee burnout due to overload. Flexible working means spreading working hours over the week or year beyond the regular nine-to-five routine. Upvote. Offering flexible work schedules will increase your ability to recruit outstanding employees. The secret diary of a writer (who started working no-fixed working hours): Day 1. Because I didn’t know enough to ask about the company’s policy during the interview process, I learned on my first day that we were expected to arrive between 9:30 and 10:15 AM and stay until 6:30 or 7 PM, the idea being that if you came in on the later side of that morning range, you’d stay later as well. (I'm a resume consultant. The option also reduces employee turnover, absenteeism, and tardiness by allowing workers to flex hours around home and family obligations. Do You Get Paid Extra for Working on a Holiday? Employers will want to see that workstations are covered when they need to operate while still allowing employee flexibility. Overhead costs may drop when you employ remote workers. 2 answers. Part-time working. Mental Health Counsellor. Providing options can extend your hours of operation which is especially important for departments such as customer service or technical support. Flexible working is any working pattern other than the normal working pattern. The time has come for flexible working hours in academia, says Eleanor Highwood. Be sure to sign and date the letter. I assist with screening of applicants and their resumes. In a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week operation, employees may choose to take Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday off or any three days to meet their desired schedule. (Variations on this flexible schedule exist including twelve-hour workdays but this is not recommended.) Of course, with the commute to a home workspace, employees avoid the traffic and the stresses of commuting during rush hours. The Pros and Cons of a Flexible Work Schedule, How Employees Can Contribute to a Positive Work Environment, See the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Paid Time Off Policy (PTO). The right to request flexible working and parental leave 20 3. Managers’ FAQs 29 6. And with the recent changes in UK law that allow any longstanding employee to request flexible working, it is set to become even more popular. 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