Flextime

What Is Flextime?

Flextime is a work schedule that allows employees to choose when they start and end work each day within certain parameters. While companies that offer this scheduling model are flexible on start and end times as long as employees work all of their required hours for the day, some companies may mandate that employees be available during peak business hours.

Example of a Flextime Work Schedule

Whereas a traditional full-time schedule requires employees to work 40 hours per week from 9 AM to 5 PM each day, a flextime schedule allows employees to work 40 hours, but with various start and end times depending on their preferences.

Let’s say a company offers flextime but requires employees to be in the office (or online) from 1 PM to 4 PM to facilitate team meetings. Here’s an example of what a full-time employee’s flextime schedule might look like:

Which Industries Use Flextime Work Schedules?

Here are some industries and examples of professions that typically offer flextime work schedules:

• Information technology (e.g., quality assurance testers, web developers, data scientists)
• Marketing (e.g., graphic designers, copywriters, social media specialists)
• Law (e.g., attorneys, paralegals, legal transcriptionists)
• Consulting (e.g., business, HR, and IT consultants)
• Media (e.g., journalists, public relations specialists, videographers)
• Education (e.g., curriculum developers, online course instructors, tutors)

Benefits and Drawbacks to Flextime Schedules

Flextime schedules have pros and cons, so be sure to consider the whole picture when deciding if this model is the best fit for your organization.

Benefits

Flextime scheduling can help:

• Improve work-life balance: Whether employees need to drop off or pick up their school-aged children or prefer to go to the gym during typical business hours, a flextime schedule can help them have more control over their work-life balance. In turn, this autonomy can help boost employee satisfaction.
• Increase productivity: With flextime schedules, early birds and night owls alike can choose to work during the hours when they’re the most efficient, improving the company’s overall productivity.
• Strengthen recruitment and retention: Flextime scheduling can be a powerful perk for attracting top candidates. Plus, employees may stay with the company longer if the flexibility suits their lifestyle and preferences.

Drawbacks

Be aware that flextime scheduling may:

• Complicate scheduling and communication: Unless your organization mandates a certain window of time when all employees must be present, flextime schedules can make it challenging to have team meetings and work toward company goals.
• Make employees feel isolated: If your staff members feel a strong sense of camaraderie but then suddenly switch to working different schedules, a sense of unity can be lost.
• Raise operating costs: If your organization requires employees to work onsite, allowing them to work nontraditional hours can raise your utility costs. There may be times when profits earned in a specific period may not cover the additional costs, especially if extreme temperatures result in unusually high heating or cooling bills.