Many employees wish they had the ability to adjust their work start time to better fit their schedule. The freedom to choose when your day begins or ends helps an employee to achieve a better work-life balance, allowing them to work around their children’s school and activities, avoid rush hour commutes, make daytime appointments and much more outside of the typical 9-5 job.
While the benefits to employees may be clear, your organization may not realize the benefits flexible start times can have when it comes to your business. If you’re looking at implementing flexible working hours, consider how the following benefits could have a positive impact:
- Recruitment & Retention
Offering the option of flexible work hours can not only help you recruit new talent, it can also help you retain your existing valued staff members who have commitments outside of work. When you have happy, satisfied employees, you’re likely to hold onto them longer and reduce turnover.
- Improved Productivity
While some employees prefer an early start to the day, others are more productive in the evening. When employees are allowed to choose their own hours, they are able to work when they feel they accomplish the most, feel most alert, and enjoy working the most, therefore increasing productivity.
- Reduced Absenteeism & Lateness
If your organization is tackling the problem of tardiness and absences, a flexible start time policy could help. Requiring all employees to start at 8 AM, for example, means some staff will almost always be late. However, allowing those employees to choose a later start time may eliminate their tardiness altogether. Additionally, with flex times, staff will require fewer days off to attend to medical appointments and other events.
- Extended Hours of Operation
Should your company choose to offer flexible working hours, you may find that your ability to provide coverage for certain departments is extended. Some employees may choose to work 7-3, while others opt for a later shift such as 10-6. If these team members work customer service, you’ve gained an extra two hours of coverage each day.
- Less Stressed Employees
Offering a flexible work schedule creates an environment for employees to better manage their daily demands, thereby reducing overall stress as they try to balance work and family responsibilities.
In order to compete for talent and retain your most valuable workers, your business will likely have to adopt some sort of flexible work policy in the near future. Attracting a younger workforce means adapting to their desire for a good work-life balance. When considering what type of flexible work options to offer, remember that you must carefully plan your strategy to benefit both employees and your organization.