What if you were able to fit your work schedule around your life? Flexi-time, or flexible work, could just be the answer to the ideal work-life balance.

What is Flexible Work?

Nowadays, we’re busier than ever before. With so many personal and professional commitments, from strict deadlines to simply going to the gym, working a regular fixed schedule can prove challenging.

Flexible work provides employees with a greater degree of flexibility surrounding their start and finish times. There are usually set ‘core hours’ when employees must be at work. However, outside of these core hours, you have the freedom to complete your work whenever suits you best. This can enable staff to continue to work alongside their other commitments, such as looking after children or caring for a loved one.

Flexible work is often available for both full-time and part-time workers, on the basis that their core hours fall within their usual working pattern. Providing flexible working is a highly effective way of improving working conditions and morale within the workplace. Flexi-time hours are usually recorded by the individual using timesheets and are monitored by a line manager. Some employers even allow additional time off for extra hours worked.

 

Benefits of Flexible Work for Employees

Working for an organisation with a flexi-time policy can have many advantages:

 

Work-Life Balance

Working flexible hours allows you to maintain a healthier work-life balance. Having more control over your working hours means that you can still meet the commitments of your family or other personal obligations.

 

Avoid Rush Hour

Some workers can use flexible working hours to avoid busy commutes to work, which can be the worst part of the day for many. By simply starting an hour earlier or later, you can work around traffic and packed public transport. This is an excellent way to keep stress levels down.

 

Take Control

By having more control over your working hours, there may be a reduced need to rush tasks or juggle multiple responsibilities. With flexible work, you can take breaks when needed to help prevent burnout.

 

Greater Earning Potential

If your employer is able to provide extended working hours, flexi-time gives you the option to earn more money. It’s important, however, to consider your mental health when working long hours and always remember to take breaks.

 

Benefits of Flexible Work for Employers

If you feel like flexi-time would be beneficial to you, here are some examples you can use in a proposal to your employer:

 

Employee Retention

Providing flexible working options can allow organisations to maintain their most skilled staff. This is done by giving them the flexibility to work around their existing commitments. This, in turn, will help to reduce staff turnover and increase the reliability of the workforce. One Flexjobs survey showed that 80% of employees would be more loyal to their employer if they were offered flexible working hours.

 

Attract Top Talent

Offering flexible work is an excellent way of attracting top-tier talent to organisations. It can be promoted as a great benefit for prospective job applicants who may be more inclined to stay in their already flexible job roles and miss out on career progression.

 

Boost Productivity

Having a flexi-time policy can boost your company’s productivity. A recent Gartner study found that 43% of employees referred to flexible hours as a motivating factor to be more productive at work. Some employers can even use flexi-time to schedule their employees’ core hours during the busiest hours of the day.

 

Family-Friendly Working Environment

Providing flexible working hours has become more of an expectation in the workplace in recent years. Allowing flexible hours shows that employers respect their employees’ lives outside of work and the importance of spending valuable time with their families.

 

Time Off in Lieu

Flexible work differs from Time off in Lieu (TOIL). Time Off in Lieu can usually only be accrued by additional hours outside of the employee’s contracted hours. These hours must be approved in advance by a line manager and the work would typically relate to a specific activity. Workers will often be provided with the choice of being paid for the hours or taking paid time off in addition to their annual leave allowance.

 

Key Takeaways: Flexible Work

Flexible work is not only beneficial for employees, but also for employers. With increased productivity and a greater work-life balance, it’s no wonder flexible work is becoming more and more popular.

If you’re looking for flexi-time jobs, be sure to check out Refreshing a Career’s flexi-time jobs board for all the latest opportunities in your area. We’ve got lots of information on a variety of topics for anyone working around existing commitments, such as:

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. And don’t miss a thing from Refreshing a Career by signing up for our newsletter using the form below.

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