Flextime - An Alternative Work Arrangement - Part 3
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By :
CD Mohatta
Submitted
2009-08-27 03:14:47 |
Flextime program has been becoming a popular option in organizations around the world. "Approximately 43 percent of the U.S. full-time workforce now has flexibility in daily arrival and departure times. And this is not just a U.S. Phenomenon. In Germany, for instance, 29 percent of businesses have flextime for their employees" (Robbins and Judge, 2008, p.95). Companies like IBM, Sun Microsystems, Ernst & Young, etc. have adopted flextime work arrangements since many years and they have been successful at it. Sometimes flextime programs are offered with a mix of telecommuting and part-time job-sharing to give more flexibility to the employees.
Flextime programs are mainly of two types:
1. Rigid flextime program:
In this program, an employee has fixed work timings. Example: the employee may come in to work at 6:00 AM and leave at 3:00 PM every day till changes are made to his or her schedule after a meeting with the management.
2. Daily flextime program:
In this type of flextime program, the employee has more autonomy and can choose his or her daily work timings. The employee could opt to come to work at 6:00 AM on one day and on 9:00 AM on some other day. The employee does not need to ask the management for his or her daily work timings. But the employee must keep his or her manager and colleagues informed about the next days work timings.
How should the employee request the organization for a flextime schedule?
As per Scott Reeves (2006, www.forbes.com), employees must keep in mind the below seven tips before pitching for a flextime schedule.
1. Bases Covered: Make it clear to your employer that all operational requirements of the job will be covered. Your proposal won't be approved if it means punching a hole in your duties and the company's business.
2. Improved Service: Tell your employer how improved morale will quickly translate into improved productivity and better customer service. Show how this means bigger profits.
3. Employee Retention: Recruiting is a major expense for any employer. Make it clear how a flexible work schedule will reduce costs by making employees happier and reducing turnover.
4. No Higher Costs: Run the figures so you can show your employer flex-time won't increase the supervisory workload or operating costs. Draft a schedule that shows that all operations will be covered during business hours.
5. Accountability: Your plan must show that flex-time won't diminish the ability of the employer to assign responsibility and demand accountability from those participating in the program. Lines of responsibility can't be blurred by flex-time or telecommuting.
6. Put Guidelines In Writing: If your company doesn't already have one, put together a handbook outlining the responsibilities of employees on a flex-time schedule. This benefits everyone by defining expectations and eliminating needless squabbles.
7. Chain Of Command: All requests for flex-time should be made in writing. Establish guidelines for granting requests so it's not based on the whim of a supervisor and applied unevenly. If there is an appeal procedure, nail down the who, what, where and when of such reconsiderations. Applying different standards to different employees will spark resentment and bitterness, undercutting the entire program. Read on in part four in this article series.
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Author Resource:-
The author writes text messages and advises for internet and social networking content like myspace countdowns and myspace comments. He also writes quizzes on subjects like personality, etc.
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