How to Implement Flexible Schedules for Your Employees

Post by:The Reserves Network

The days of the traditional 9 to 5 workweek are numbered. The pandemic completely altered the typical status quo of worker expectations, and all signs indicate it will probably never change. In fact, a November 2020 study from JLL found that 71% of workers expect more flexible schedules post-pandemic.

Flexible scheduling has many benefits for both employers and employees. For the former, it offers a cost-effective way to manage surpluses or shortages in hours of work. For the latter, it allows an employee to balance family and professional responsibilities, leading to increased productivity, reduced turnover and a greater number of applicants.

Wondering how flexible schedules might work at your company?

 

Offer Weekend Swap Days

A growing number of companies are making it possible for their employees to swap one working weekday with a weekend day. This arrangement has several advantages for both the employee and the company. It gives employees choices in scheduling their days off while allowing companies the flexibility to take care of urgent business tasks without having to shut down operations.

Implement a Four-Day Work Week

Support for the four-day workweek has been gaining traction for quite some time. Working long hours can lead to burnout and poor productivity. By reallocating your time, you can get more done in less time through delegating tasks and adjusting priorities. If you’re deliberating whether to implement a four-day workweek, you might need to consider:

  • Will you allow all employees to work four days?
  • Will you offer the same salary and benefits to employees working four days?
  • Will people still work 40 hours during those four days?

While these are all factors your company would need to consider, it can be incredibly beneficial to hiring top talent and keeping employees who value work-life balance over salary.

Offer Flextime

Flextime is an arrangement that allows employees to choose their own working hours. In practice, most employers limit flextime to a small number of variations—working an extra hour or two in the morning or late afternoon or at night or working from home.

It can be extremely beneficial to employers: you can reduce commute time per day per employee and cut your labor costs if your workforce is large enough. Offering flextime can also boost the productivity and morale of your team.

As an employer, your goal should be to help your employees maintain a healthy work-life balance. Offering flexible work options is one way of achieving that goal. What’s more, businesses can reap additional benefits of offering flexible schedules, improved employee relations, morale and establishing a reputation as an employer of choice. The Reserves Network works with many companies that have implemented flexible scheduling options. If your company is interested in learning more, contact us today.