HR Tips: Dealing with Flex Hours

The concept of flex time is fairly new, and has evolved quite a bit since the dawn of the digital age. Flex time allows employees to take the time they need for life events, with the knowledge that the employer will get that time back in some form. This may be in the form of one’s work load, authorizing leave only after work has been completed, or it can come in the form of extra hours. HR professionals are on the front lines of these new time and attendance systems, so it’s important that you set rules up front so employees know what is allowed.

Remote Work

It is sometimes helpful to arrange a flexible schedule where the employee does some or all of his hours at home. Remote workers may be responsible for some company property, like a laptop, and should be required to use the company VPN whenever possible. This way, HR can monitor the employee’s activities remotely and keep track of when he is active. Some employees may ask for work-from-home schedules up front, but you have the option to increase or decrease those hours as needed.

Alternate Schedules

In certain cases, two employees who share a duty can just swap schedules. This allows both employees to work at a time that is convenient for them, and the employee who needs flex time can take it. This arrangement also guarantees that the employer will get the work required. This arrangement is ideal, as neither employee will lose hours for doing a simple swap. If the employee requires multiple schedule swaps, you can just consider switching the employee’s hours as needed.

Job Sharing

A job-share is an arrangement where two people work together to do the work of one full time job. Some companies find this strategy useful because it can sometimes lower the cost of payroll. Say a full-time employee would normally get benefits. Two part time employees can still do the same work, alternate schedules and you don’t have to pay them benefits. While not ideal for every position or every worker, this is an arrangement worth exploring if your demands are consistently unmet.

Final Thoughts

Flex time is still a new concept of employee time tracking, and it’s evolving every day. Employees who utilize flex time are generally happier than those who are not allowed, but HR must work hard to set rules for the usage of this time.
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Allied Time sells an employee time clock to fit just about any business. Whether tracking time online or on site, visit Allied Time for solutions.

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