Should we allow all our employees work by flextime?
The system of flexible time (or flextime in other words) is a trend that has become popular in recent years. Why did it happen? What does «flextime» mean? Let’s try to understand it and find pros and cons of using the system at your company.
Flextime is a system of flexible work hours policy when employees are allowed to choose when their workday starts and ends. The core principle of the system is providing people more freedom in making their own work schedule.
For employees the flextime is awesome opportunity to find their work and life balance — they might choose hours when it would be more comfortable to work. Some people have children, others have classes or physic training sessions: reasons of flextime might differ. But the flexible work schedule allows people to manage their schedule which makes them more happy.
Only advantages, isn’t it? Hm, seems like there are some cons too. At first, when you do not know when your colleague will come to office, you might not plan some meeting with him. For meeting of 5–8 people it would be difficult to organize it. Also, flextime requires self-discipline from employees. Some persons might come at work very late to send more time at office when other colleagues and teamleader left. Of course, you can see results of the work and fire the employee if it necessary, but time and resources would be wasted anyway. That’s why you should allow flextime to only persons who work for a long time at company and you do not worry about result of their work.
In my opinion, flextime is a good benefit of company but there should be some limits. At first, you should introduce core hours — time when all employees have to be in office. It makes easier to plan meetings.
Secondly, you should give a right to work by flextime only after probation period. During the probation, you will see a productivity level of employee and it allows to decide should you give an opportunity of flextime or not.
If you doubt in should you introduce flextime at your company, you have to calculate what would be more effective: project meetings without any unexpectations or increasing individual productivity of each person, and decide what is more cost-effective.
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