What Is Flextime and Why Should You Offer It?

What is flextime?

Flextime is also known as flexible working hours or flexible schedules. It’s a benefit that allows each employee to define their work schedule within certain parameters. The specifics of how flextime works and what kind of schedule flexibility is permitted typically vary depending on the business.

Some common types of flextime include the following:

• Flexible start/end times: This type of schedule allows employees to choose what time they start and end work each day. Depending on the company and role, you may give employees the freedom to start and end at any time; however, this type of scheduling typically has a set timeframe in which they can clock in and out. For example, you could allow workers to start and end work any time between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., as long as they work their required eight hours each day.
• Compressed work schedule: This type of schedule allows employees to work fewer days with longer hours. For example, an employee might choose to work four 10-hour days instead of five eight-hour days. One of the most common types of compressed work schedules is to work Monday through Thursday for 10 hours each day, and then have Friday off.
• Seasonal schedule: This type of schedule changes based on the season, such as having employees work longer hours during a busy season or giving workers time off during the summer. For example, many businesses incorporate “Summer Fridays” into their company culture; this type of schedule allows employees to take Friday off or end work early during the summertime.
• Variable day schedule: This type of schedule allows employees to work different hours based on different days. For example, an employee may choose to always work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
• Results-centered schedule: This type of schedule is arguably the most flexible, allowing employees to work any time of day — as long as they meet their respective goals. This schedule focuses on employee output as opposed to time worked.
• Remote/hybrid schedule: Flextime can involve giving employees the option to work remotely a certain number of days each week. You can either dictate which days they must be in the office, or you can give them the freedom to choose which days they come in — as long as they meet the minimum weekly quota (e.g., three days in office, two days remote).

What are the benefits of flextime for employees?

Flextime has advantages for both employers and employees; many of these benefits lead to higher employee morale. Here are some of the upsides for workers.

Better work-life balance

Flextime is very valuable to employees; it gives them the autonomy to create a work schedule that integrates cohesively with their personal life. This freedom can result in an improved work-life balance.

“At the heart of flextime is the ability for employees to be in control of their work and personal life,” Darrell Rosenstein, founder and managing partner of recruiting firm The Rosenstein Group, told us.

Improved well-being

With the freedom to create a personalized work schedule on their own terms, employees have more opportunities to focus on their physical and mental health. Instead of working a schedule predetermined by someone else, they can modify their working hours around activities that foster good health, e.g., going to the gym, spending time with family or taking a yoga class.

Time for professional development

Flexible work arrangements are also great for employees who want to engage in professional development opportunities they might otherwise not have time for.

“With a flexible schedule, employees can pursue professional development opportunities, such as attending college — something that can be difficult to do with a traditional 9-to-5 schedule,” Rosenstein said. “Access to such opportunities is especially important to millennials, who consistently prefer professional development over a salary increase.”

What are the benefits of flextime for employers?

Giving your staff the flexibility to create their own work schedules isn’t advantageous only to employees; it can be beneficial for employers, too. Here are some of the upsides for businesses.

Better talent acquisition and retention

Since it’s one of the most popular benefits among employees, flextime can help attract and retain top talent.

According to Todd Brook, offering flextime can open up a candidate pool for high-demand roles you otherwise would not have had access to because of time demands.

“It gives you a level of differentiation, and you can end up with incredible, high-performing and loyal employees,” said Brook, managing director at the employee engagement platform Engagement Multiplier.

Employees look for more than just a competitive salary when determining whether to work for an organization. They often place a high importance on work-life balance, which flextime fosters. Ensuring team members have a positive work-life balance can also help keep them around for the long term.

“It goes without saying that when employees are happy, they are more likely to stay with you for longer,” Rosenstein said. “Every employer understands the high cost of losing and hiring a valuable employee. Allowing them to initiate a work arrangement that works for them directly minimizes turnover and the disruption it causes.” [Find out how to calculate your employee turnover rate.]

Increased productivity

Using flextime to let employees work during the hours they are most physically and mentally available can also increase productivity.

“When they can plan their time in a way that aligns with their needs, employees are more likely to feel less stressed and burnt out, which leads to greater productivity,” Rosenstein said.

Taken together, the benefits of flextime for employees improve morale and performance. This, in turn, makes for a happier, more satisfied workforce — one where staffers enjoy their work environment. Facilitating and maintaining such a company culture is definitely to an employer’s advantage in both the short and long term.

What are the disadvantages of flextime?

Flextime can be a valuable benefit, but it does have some drawbacks. Watch out for these potential disadvantages when implementing a flextime policy.

Scheduling and communication challenges

It can be difficult to organize and manage your team when everyone is operating on different schedules. For example, it can be challenging to plan meetings and other collaborative activities with asynchronous work hours. If scheduling isn’t managed properly, it can ultimately hurt your company’s bottom line.

“Without a tight arrangement, allowing employees to choose their working hours can lead to operational disruption, such as inadequate staff at any given time,” Rosenstein said. “If several employees are unavailable at certain times, projects might delay and customer service might take a blow, all of which have negative consequences for the company’s bottom line.”

If too many employees use their flextime to work remotely or work opposite schedules, your team may also lack the face-to-face time needed to feel connected.

Preferential treatment

Flextime can also lower employee morale if it is offered only to certain employees. While the team members who do get flextime may have high morale, those who don’t get to enjoy such flexibility may feel the opposite.

“If your policy only offers certain employees a flexible work schedule, others who are left out might feel resentful [and] less valued, and this could have negative implications for their productivity and long-term commitment to the company,” Rosenstein said.

To reduce the potential for scheduling complications or preferential treatment, employers should carefully consider the guidelines around how their flextime policy works.

What roles are best suited for flextime schedules?

Flextime schedules can be a good fit for roles that prioritize outcomes over hours worked. This is often seen in industries such as sales, marketing, design, tech and content creation. Flextime schedules are also useful for roles that work within industries with nonstandard operating hours, such as health care, retail and hospitality.

Here are some roles best suited for flexible scheduling.

• Sales and client-facing roles: Account managers, sales representatives, business development managers, client success managers, real estate agents, etc.
• Creative roles: Marketing consultants, writers, editors, graphic designers, UX/UI designers, animators, photographers, videographers, social media managers, creative directors, content creators, etc.
• Tech and development roles: Software developers, engineers, web developers, IT specialists, mobile app developers, data scientists, cyber security analysts, product managers, system administrators, etc.
• Health care roles: Nurses, physicians, therapists, physician assistants, medical assistants, pharmacists, telehealth providers, home health aides, etc.
• Consulting and project-based roles: Management consultants, business analysts, research analysts, HR consultants, creative consultants, financial consultants, etc.
• Customer support roles: Customer service representatives, chat support agents, help desk support, virtual assistants, etc.
• Retail roles: Sales associates, cashiers, inventory clerks, warehouse and fulfillment workers, etc.
• Hospitality roles: Hotel front desk agents, housekeepers, servers, bartenders, concierge, event staff, kitchen staff, parking attendants, etc.

Flextime works best in roles where trust, self-management and clear communication are key to achieving success.

How do you implement flextime?

After consulting with Brook and Rosenstein about the best way to successfully implement flextime, we recommend the following four-step process:

1. Choose what type of flextime to offer.

The first step in implementing a flextime policy is to choose the type of flextime you want to offer. Because flextime arrangements can vary, it is critical to determine what kinds of schedules will best suit the needs of your employees and your business. Consult with the necessary stakeholders (e.g., HR team, employees, vendors) to figure out an approach that will ensure business operations continue uninterrupted.

Rosenstein said to consider offering various forms of flexible work arrangements to find what ultimately works well for your entire team. For example, experiment with options such as job sharing, telecommuting and compressed workweeks. Over time, you can home in on the frameworks to use going forward.

2. Determine your guidelines and nonnegotiables.

After you have an idea of what kind of flextime you want to offer, review your business processes, staffing patterns and operational needs. This way, you can determine the necessary guidelines that will inform your policy.

Brook said to decide whether there are any nonnegotiable periods during which team members need to be available; such instances include weekly meetings, specific events (e.g., an IT deployment) or particularly busy times (e.g., the holiday season). You should also decide how many employees from each team or department need to be available at any given time.

3. Include important details.

Write a comprehensive flextime policy that outlines how your flextime benefit works. Include important details about eligibility, request and approval procedures, and employee rights and obligations.

Brook advised employers to set clear expectations around how, when and where communication occurs, as well as what to do if something isn’t working. It’s also essential to establish performance metrics so you can track how productivity is impacted. Outlining these specific components will help with team organization, employee accountability and scheduling predictability.

“Clear accountabilities are crucial,” Brook said.

4. Make it official.

After your policy is written, you may want to consult an attorney to ensure it complies with federal, state and local labor laws. Present the final policy to your employees, and have them sign a flexible-work-arrangement form to confirm their commitment to following the guidelines.

Lastly, any time you implement a new employee benefit, it is important to update the information in your employee handbook accordingly. Be sure to also incorporate the policy into future onboarding material so new hires are aware of how flextime works at your company from day one.

Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.