Flextime plan
Encyclopedia
Flextime is a variable work schedule
, in contrast to traditional work
arrangements requiring employees to work a standard 9am to 5pm day. Its invention is usually credited to William Henning. Under flextime, there is typically a core period (of approximately 50% of total working time/working day) of the day when employees are expected to be at work (for example, between 11 am and 3pm), while the rest of the working day is "flexitime", in which employees can choose when they work, subject to achieving total daily, weekly or monthly hours in the region of what the employer expects, and subject to the necessary work being done.
A flextime policy allows staff to determine when they will work, while a flexplace
policy allows staff to determine where they will work. Its practical realization can mainly be attributed to the entrepreneur Wilhelm Haller
who founded Hengstler Gleitzeit - and later "Interflex Datensysteme GmbH" in Southern Germany where today a number of companies offer Flexitime (Gleitzeit) solutions which have grown out of his initiative.
In spring 2003, 17.7% of men and 26.7% of women were employed with flexitime arrangements in the United Kingdom
, (Office for National Statistics
2003). In the United Kingdom, flexitime working is commonplace in both the private
and public
sectors. The practice is often found in administrative and back office functions of commercial organisations and local councils
.
In 2003 the UK Government introduced legislation that gave parents of children under 6, or the parents of disabled children under 18, the right in law to request a flexible working arrangement
from their employer. A survey in 2005 by the National Office of Statistics showed that 71% of female workers and 60% of male workers were aware of the rights created under the 2003 legislation. Between 2003 and 2005 more than 14% of all workers had requested a change to flexible working.
From 6 April 2007 the law will extend the right to request flexible working to carers of adults.
Shift workers are generally excluded from flexitime schemes as are senior managers. Other groups of workers for whom flexitime arrangements are rare include those who serve the public during specific opening times.
For employers, flexitime can aid the recruitment and retention of staff. It has been a particularly popular option in 2009 for employers trying to reduce staff costs without having to make redundancies during the recession. It can also help provide staff cover outside normal working hours and reduce the need for overtime
. Additionally flexitime can also improve the provision of equal opportunities to staff unable to work standard hours.
Flexitime can give employees greater freedom to organise their working lives to suit personal needs. In addition, travelling can be cheaper and easier if it is out of peak time.
, flextime workers, like salaried workers
, are exempted from overtime
regulations, and are given broad leeway in setting their own work schedule. Unlike exempted salaried workers, employers are still required to pay overtime to a flextime worker if they work more than 40 hours per week; some employers avoid this policy by dismissing their employees shortly before their scheduled working hours have been completed. In addition, the employer will usually require that a flextime employee works a minimum number of hours each week.
In recent years, the term "flextime" has acquired a more controversial definition when used to describe proposals to overhaul the nation's overtime regulations. Under one such proposal by the Bush administration
made public on August 5, 2004, employers would not be required to pay non-exempt employees overtime for working more than 40 hours in a week so long as the employee works no more than 80 hours over a two week period. For example, a worker could be required to work 70 hours one week and receive no overtime compensation as long as they work 10 hours or less the following week. Such arrangements are opposed by labor organizations
such as the AFL-CIO
.
In certain industries and disciplines, such as information technology
, flextime permits workers to vary their schedule. For example, they may opt to work four 10-hour days per week, taking Monday or Friday off. Another flextime schedule is to work nine-hour days Monday through Thursday, an eight-hour day on Friday, taking every other Friday off. Workers may arrange to coordinate their days off so that their responsibilities are adequately covered.
Other workers may opt simply to come in early, such as 5 or 6 am, and leave in the mid-afternoon, or come in late and therefore leave late. One benefit of such a schedule is that commuting times occur outside of the congested rush hour
traffic within a given geographic region. Flextime arrangements also help parents: one parent works 10am-6pm and is in charge of the children before school/daycare, while the other parent works 7am-3pm and is in charge of the children after school/daycare. This allows parents time to commute. Flextime is also beneficial to workers pursuing an education.
In the U.S., flextime generally applies only to white collar
workers. It is an ongoing part of the work-life balance
discussions going on in many companies.
If an employee accumulates too many flex hours, he or she is required to perform "flex burndown", as they are burning down the flex. Similarly, taking a flex day off is known as "flexing".
It is implemented formally in the Australian Federal Public Service and is available for staff in most state and territory government departments. With current changes to industrial relations laws (2006), from State to Federal level there are no new published guidelines (online) for flextime.
Flextime has also been implemented in the Victorian Public Service.
The word "flex" has entered the lexicon of many Australians and, in some workplaces, possessing a high flex balance is a point of honour, with many employees placing bets on who can accumulate the most number of flex hours by a particular date. This has led to many employees staying behind at work until very late, despite being completely idle, in order to build up their flex.
(computer programs) to handwritten time sheets
. Most of these methods are associated with the payment of wages in return for hours worked. As a result they often do not address a fundamental difference of most flexible work
ing systems - namely the intention of flexible working to allow an employee to "trade hours" with their employer in return for a fixed wage .
There are also similar tracking tools for time and productivity more suited to small and medium business (SMBs), such as TimeOP.
Schedule (workplace)
A schedule, often called a rota, is a list of employees who are working on any given day, week, or month in a workplace. A schedule is necessary for the day-to-day operation of any retail store or manufacturing facility. The process of creating a schedule is called scheduling...
, in contrast to traditional work
Wage labour
Wage labour is the socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer, where the worker sells their labour under a formal or informal employment contract. These transactions usually occur in a labour market where wages are market determined...
arrangements requiring employees to work a standard 9am to 5pm day. Its invention is usually credited to William Henning. Under flextime, there is typically a core period (of approximately 50% of total working time/working day) of the day when employees are expected to be at work (for example, between 11 am and 3pm), while the rest of the working day is "flexitime", in which employees can choose when they work, subject to achieving total daily, weekly or monthly hours in the region of what the employer expects, and subject to the necessary work being done.
A flextime policy allows staff to determine when they will work, while a flexplace
Flexplace
Flexplace refers to a company policy or program that enables employees to have more decision authority on where they will work regardless of time of day. For example, they may choose to work in the office or from home or from a client's office or even a café. Also: flex-place, FlexPlace,...
policy allows staff to determine where they will work. Its practical realization can mainly be attributed to the entrepreneur Wilhelm Haller
Wilhelm Haller
Wilhelm „Willi“ Haller Swabian businessman and social entrepreneur. Father of Flexitime and founder of Interflex Datensysteme.-Life:...
who founded Hengstler Gleitzeit - and later "Interflex Datensysteme GmbH" in Southern Germany where today a number of companies offer Flexitime (Gleitzeit) solutions which have grown out of his initiative.
In the United Kingdom
Haller's employers Hengstler founded a company in the UK in 1971 and registered the trademark "Flextime", the mark remains the property of that company's successor hfx Ltd.In spring 2003, 17.7% of men and 26.7% of women were employed with flexitime arrangements in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, (Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
2003). In the United Kingdom, flexitime working is commonplace in both the private
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
and public
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
sectors. The practice is often found in administrative and back office functions of commercial organisations and local councils
Local government in the United Kingdom
The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved...
.
In 2003 the UK Government introduced legislation that gave parents of children under 6, or the parents of disabled children under 18, the right in law to request a flexible working arrangement
Labour market flexibility
Labour market flexibility refers to the speed with which labour markets adapt to fluctuations and changes in society, the economy or production.-Definition:In the past, the most common definition of labour market flexibility was the neo-liberal definition...
from their employer. A survey in 2005 by the National Office of Statistics showed that 71% of female workers and 60% of male workers were aware of the rights created under the 2003 legislation. Between 2003 and 2005 more than 14% of all workers had requested a change to flexible working.
From 6 April 2007 the law will extend the right to request flexible working to carers of adults.
Shift workers are generally excluded from flexitime schemes as are senior managers. Other groups of workers for whom flexitime arrangements are rare include those who serve the public during specific opening times.
For employers, flexitime can aid the recruitment and retention of staff. It has been a particularly popular option in 2009 for employers trying to reduce staff costs without having to make redundancies during the recession. It can also help provide staff cover outside normal working hours and reduce the need for overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
. Additionally flexitime can also improve the provision of equal opportunities to staff unable to work standard hours.
Flexitime can give employees greater freedom to organise their working lives to suit personal needs. In addition, travelling can be cheaper and easier if it is out of peak time.
In the United States
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, flextime workers, like salaried workers
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
, are exempted from overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
regulations, and are given broad leeway in setting their own work schedule. Unlike exempted salaried workers, employers are still required to pay overtime to a flextime worker if they work more than 40 hours per week; some employers avoid this policy by dismissing their employees shortly before their scheduled working hours have been completed. In addition, the employer will usually require that a flextime employee works a minimum number of hours each week.
In recent years, the term "flextime" has acquired a more controversial definition when used to describe proposals to overhaul the nation's overtime regulations. Under one such proposal by the Bush administration
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
made public on August 5, 2004, employers would not be required to pay non-exempt employees overtime for working more than 40 hours in a week so long as the employee works no more than 80 hours over a two week period. For example, a worker could be required to work 70 hours one week and receive no overtime compensation as long as they work 10 hours or less the following week. Such arrangements are opposed by labor organizations
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
such as the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
.
In certain industries and disciplines, such as information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, flextime permits workers to vary their schedule. For example, they may opt to work four 10-hour days per week, taking Monday or Friday off. Another flextime schedule is to work nine-hour days Monday through Thursday, an eight-hour day on Friday, taking every other Friday off. Workers may arrange to coordinate their days off so that their responsibilities are adequately covered.
Other workers may opt simply to come in early, such as 5 or 6 am, and leave in the mid-afternoon, or come in late and therefore leave late. One benefit of such a schedule is that commuting times occur outside of the congested rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
traffic within a given geographic region. Flextime arrangements also help parents: one parent works 10am-6pm and is in charge of the children before school/daycare, while the other parent works 7am-3pm and is in charge of the children after school/daycare. This allows parents time to commute. Flextime is also beneficial to workers pursuing an education.
In the U.S., flextime generally applies only to white collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
workers. It is an ongoing part of the work-life balance
Work-life balance
Work–life balance is a broad concept including proper prioritizing between "work" on the one hand and "life" on the other. Related, though broader, terms include "lifestyle balance" and "life balance".-History:The work-leisure dichotomy was invented in the mid 1800s...
discussions going on in many companies.
In Australia
Flextime in Australia is usually referred to accumulated overtime hours that an employee can build up and exchange for the equivalent amount of time off. (Example: Jane works 7am - 3pm Monday to Friday. Over the past month, Jane has worked 8 hours overtime meaning she is eligible for a paid day off.)If an employee accumulates too many flex hours, he or she is required to perform "flex burndown", as they are burning down the flex. Similarly, taking a flex day off is known as "flexing".
It is implemented formally in the Australian Federal Public Service and is available for staff in most state and territory government departments. With current changes to industrial relations laws (2006), from State to Federal level there are no new published guidelines (online) for flextime.
Flextime has also been implemented in the Victorian Public Service.
The word "flex" has entered the lexicon of many Australians and, in some workplaces, possessing a high flex balance is a point of honour, with many employees placing bets on who can accumulate the most number of flex hours by a particular date. This has led to many employees staying behind at work until very late, despite being completely idle, in order to build up their flex.
Recording flexitime working
There are many different methods used for recording working time ranging from sophisticated softwareComparison of time tracking software
This is a comparison of notable time tracking software packages and web hosted services.- See also :*Flextime plan*Project management software*Time tracking software*Timesheet*Working time...
(computer programs) to handwritten time sheets
Timesheet
A timesheet is a method for recording the amount of a worker's time spent on each job.-Use:Originally developed for an employer to determine payroll, timesheets are not just for payroll any more. Timesheets may record the start and end time of tasks, or just the duration. It may contain a...
. Most of these methods are associated with the payment of wages in return for hours worked. As a result they often do not address a fundamental difference of most flexible work
Labour market flexibility
Labour market flexibility refers to the speed with which labour markets adapt to fluctuations and changes in society, the economy or production.-Definition:In the past, the most common definition of labour market flexibility was the neo-liberal definition...
ing systems - namely the intention of flexible working to allow an employee to "trade hours" with their employer in return for a fixed wage .
There are also similar tracking tools for time and productivity more suited to small and medium business (SMBs), such as TimeOP.
See also
- OvertimeOvertimeOvertime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
- Fair Labor Standards ActFair Labor Standards ActThe Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 is a federal statute of the United States. The FLSA established a national minimum wage, guaranteed 'time-and-a-half' for overtime in certain jobs, and prohibited most employment of minors in "oppressive child labor," a term that is defined in the statute...
(United States) - Office for National StatisticsOffice for National StatisticsThe Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
(UK) - Equal Opportunity EmploymentEqual Opportunity EmploymentTitle VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first federal law designed to protect most U.S. employees from employment discrimination based upon that employee's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin . The Title also established the U.S...
- Labour (economics)
- Labour market flexibilityLabour market flexibilityLabour market flexibility refers to the speed with which labour markets adapt to fluctuations and changes in society, the economy or production.-Definition:In the past, the most common definition of labour market flexibility was the neo-liberal definition...
- Time clockTime clockA time clock, sometimes known as a clock card machine or punch clock or time recorder, is a mechanical timepiece used to assist in tracking the hours an employee of a company worked. In regards to mechanical time clocks this was accomplished by inserting a heavy paper card, called a timesheet,...
- Work-life balanceWork-life balanceWork–life balance is a broad concept including proper prioritizing between "work" on the one hand and "life" on the other. Related, though broader, terms include "lifestyle balance" and "life balance".-History:The work-leisure dichotomy was invented in the mid 1800s...