Flextime Work Schedules
Hrm 102: Introduction to Human Resources
April 23, 2010
“Flextime permits employees the option of choosing daily starting and quitting times, provided that they work a certain number of hours per day or week. Flextime work schedules are most prominent in service type organizations, government agencies, and other large clerical operation companies (Bolander, 2007, p. 175).
Flextime provides benefits to both employers and employees. Organizations develop and implement flextime because it reduces the amount of employee tardiness and call offs. It improves job satisfaction. When employees are in control of their own hours they can schedule themselves for hours that they are most productive. Flextime also gives flexibility to lifestyle changes, such as becoming a parent or getting married. Flextime is great for employers because it improves employee retention people are staying at their job. Also by having employees staggered for their working hours it allows certain companies stay open longer to better assist customers (Bolander, 2007, p. 176).
Not everything is perfect though; there are some disadvantages to flextime. Flextime cannot be implemented in every job setting, because some jobs need someone at the workplace 24/7. Other issues might include not getting information across to every employee, unless a manager stays at the workplace longer (Bolander, 2007, p. 176). “Thirty one percent of organizations allow employees to work from home or off the company premises on a regular basis, and 73 percent allow extended career breaks for family responsibilities” (Palmer, 2007, p. 2). Some companies such as Best Buy allow some of the employees from the corporate office to set their own hours and work entirely from home. Some companies also launched a program called “Full Circle”. Full Circle is a program for parents that allow them to temporarily stop working for the company but stay in touch
References: Bolander, S. S. (2007). Managing Human Resources. New York: Thomson Southwestern. Palmer, K. (2007, August 26). The New Mommy Track. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from Usnews.com: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/070826/3mommy.htm