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While flex scheduling has become very popular, it is not quite the norm just yet. Flex scheduling is what it sounds like: Employees are allowed to work a flexible schedule so long as they accomplish their tasks and meet certain quotas.
For example, full-time employees are required to work 40 hours. However, a company might state that they do not care when an employee meets that amount, so long as they do it each week by midnight on Sunday. This allows employees to work whenever it is most convenient for them — this could be overnight, on weekends, early mornings or late nights. This does not mean employees never work during the typical 9-5, but it allows them to schedule things easier in their lives such as picking up kids from school, visiting the doctor’s office or even taking small vacations.
Although more and more companies are going to this model, there are still some that are sticking with the traditional 9-5, even though those companies and their employees are completely remote.
Working with businesses of all shapes and sizes, I have found that flex scheduling really is one of the best ways to allow employees to work remotely.
Related: How Flexible Work Will Give Your Business the Biggest Advantage
Strict schedules create sneaky employees
First of all, no one is looking over an employee’s shoulder when they work at home to verify they are actually working when they should be. Yes, there is software that can monitor “activity” on computers. However, there are a million and one ways to get around that software.
Working from home cuts down on in-office distractions such as coworkers coming by to chat, phones ringing or customers walking in with complicated questions. However, that does not mean that working from home does not come with its own distractions. For example, the dog might get sick or the laundry may need to be done.
Attempting to force someone to sit at their desk from 9-5 at home creates sneaky employees — this is not to say these people are bad or doing something that is bad. They still do their work. They meet their deadlines. They just might do it a little earlier or later in the day. They have their own distractions they want to take care of — and let’s be honest, no one is chained to their desk the whole time they are in the office, either. People get up to take breaks, grab coffee, chat with coworkers who are friends, etc.
Since remote employees are in their own personal space and there is no one from work to micromanage their activities, they should be allowed a little wiggle room in their schedule.
Related: Your Employees Expect Schedule Flexibility. Here’s How to Give It to Them.
Strict schedules lead to burnout
Flex scheduling has actually been shown to lead to more productivity and overall employee satisfaction, according to an article written by Ludmila N. Praslova in the Harvard Business Review. Think about the “afternoon slump” many people experience after being awake for several hours and eating lunch. Most people are a little sleepy in the afternoon. If they are allowed to clock out, they can return when they are refreshed rather than working while exhausted, which can lead to mistakes.
Furthermore, it is hard for remote employees to separate their personal from their professional lives. After all, their computer (a.k.a. their work), never leaves the premises. While companies require employees to be at their desks at certain times when working remotely, many employees work over that time to accomplish deadlines. Again, if an employee feels extra exhausted in the afternoon, they might find it hard to push through their work so they stay late to finish, which can lead to more exhaustion the next day and create a vicious cycle.
However, with flex time they can take a nap or break, return refreshed and finish the work faster and on time — whatever that time may be for them!
Strict schedules are not a perk
Many companies now offer flex scheduling as a perk. If a candidate is choosing between your company and another, they might choose the other one if it has flex scheduling. After all, the thing to keep in mind is that flex scheduling does not mean employees will always be working at crazy hours. More often than not, employees still work around the 9-5 schedule — it’s just that some days they may choose to make it a little different.
Additionally, it is still okay to tell employees they have to be available at certain times with flex scheduling. Let them know that every Monday at 3 p.m. there is a required meeting. This ensures that you keep in contact with them on a regular basis while allowing them to plan the rest of their day around that time.
This is a great perk to offer remote employees; people often choose remote work so that they have more freedom in when and how they operate. Trying to force people to sit in their own homes at their desks for days at a time is not a perk, and you might lose out on great candidates because of that.
Now, you might think that flex scheduling causes you to lose control over your employees; many companies feel it is scary because of this. However, there are certainly lots of pros to keep in mind.
Of course, flex scheduling is not a one-size-fits-all solution. There are some companies and job positions where it just will not work. However, if it is something your company has been considering, you should give it some thought as it can lead to happier, more productive employees who enjoy the perks your company offers.
