Ask employees what they desire most in a job and, chances are, the ability to regularly work a more flexible schedule will be in likely be in the mix of answers you receive. While full-time jobs traditionally have been defined by the standard 9-to-5 workday Monday through Friday, more and more workplaces are beginning to offer employees more flexibility. There’s plenty of studies out there that suggest a flexible work schedule is essential for happier, more productive employees. What’s even better, flexible work schedules can be just as beneficial and positive for employers.

Though some employers are wary about shifting more control to employees, there is no denying that technology has simplified employees’ abilities to do their work from home, or anywhere with a power outlet and a Wi-Fi connection, for that matter. Companies are recognizing that allowing their people to work somewhere other than their desks provides a myriad of benefits. However, to reap the most benefits, businesses – such as those in the retail, restaurant, and healthcare industries – need a powerful employee scheduling software like Scheduling+

Scheduling+ is one of the best employee scheduling software available for businesses of all sizes, especially those who allow their employees to have flexible schedules. Our easy-to-use online time clock will make your life as well as the lives of employees easier. Employees can clock in and out from their computer or their phones, whether they are in-office or working remotely. Additionally, employees can use Scheduling+ to see tasks that have been assigned to them, view their schedule, switch shifts with other employees, and submit a time-off request. 

The goal of Scheduling+ is to make the lives of others easier through our employee scheduling app. Below,  our experts offer up a few benefits that come from flexible work schedules.

BENEFITS OF OFFERING FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES TO YOUR EMPLOYEES

The idea of a flexible work schedule, or ‘“Flex Time,” is centered around letting employees set their work schedules as long as they are meeting their deadlines and goals, producing efficiently, and are working the appropriate number of hours. Or, another solution is for employers and employees to come up with an alternative agreement with their employer regarding office hours versus remote time.

For example, a company can set core hours of 9:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. As long as the employees are in the office or onsite during that time window, how and where they get the remaining 16 hours of their 40-hour workweek is up to them. If you are a business that has tossed around the idea of a flexible work schedule, consider the following benefits it can bring to your organization.

OFFERS BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Maintaining a work-life balance is all about separating your personal and professional lives without allowing one to infringe upon the other. Both are important, neither should be undervalued. However, working from 9-to-5 five days a week can make it challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance. People who work 40 hours a week can struggle with finding time for family, friends, community involvement, spirituality, personal growth, self-care, and other personal activities in addition to the demands of the workplace. When employers allow employees to have a say in the hours they work, though, it makes it a lot easier for them to find a balance between their personal and work lives that works well for them.

EMPLOYEES CAN ADAPT SCHEDULES TO FIT THEIR FAMILY NEEDS

If employees set their hours, they ensure that their schedule works with the needs and demands of their family and social life. A flexible schedule can go a long way toward maintaining that healthy work-life balance we touched on above, as well as protecting important relationships in the lives of your employees. Flexible work schedules make it easy for employees to drop-off and pick-up their kids from school, make it to sporting events and school recitals and work from home when their kids are sick to provide them with the care that they need.

EMPLOYEES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE PASSIONS OUTSIDE OF WORK

Unfortunately, it is difficult to do the things you are most passionate about when you are stuck with a 9-to-5 schedule. Sometimes employees may have to jet early so they have enough time — and daylight — to conquer a14’er or make it to their book club with their friends that starts at 4:00 p.m. every Wednesday. For employers, giving employees the flexibility to pursue their passions has its own stack of perks. Not only will it help encourage innovative ideas for employees, but the more well-rounded they are, the more likely they are to respond to work-related problems with unconventional solutions. Lastly, allowing employees to pursue their passions outside of work will make them less likely to feel unhappy in their current position.

ALLOWS EMPLOYEES TO WORK WHEN THEY ARE MOST PRODUCTIVE

No employee is the same. Everyone has different interests, work methods, and times where they feel that they are most productive — some people work more productively in the mornings, some find themselves at their best in the afternoon after a couple cups of coffee, and others can work, head-down, late into the night. Many experts suggest that it is important and effective if employees work focused and distraction-free for a period of time to be the most productive. Because all your employees are different, ultimately, they aren’t all going to be productive at the exact same time. Flexible work schedules allow them to become better, more productive workers — they will get everything accomplished during the hours that work best for them, and will not feel as burnt out as they would if they were sitting at their desks in front of a screen during times where productivity levels are at their lowest.

EMPLOYEES FEEL MORE VALUED

It is important for businesses to show their employees that they are appreciated. Unfortunately, running a business is time-consuming and showing employee appreciation is something that many companies neglect. Employee appreciation is important in the workplace and businesses should make an effort to go out of their way to regularly show their team that you appreciate all that they do. Employee appreciation is directly related to job satisfaction, workplace happiness and culture, and employee morale. When businesses show their employees that they care, it can also boost motivation, increase engagement in the workplace, nurture company loyalty, and increase productivity.

EMPLOYEE TURNOVER VALUE IS REDUCED

According to a recent survey, over 60 percent of employees have reported leaving or considering leaving a job due to the lack of flexibility with work hours. As mentioned previously, giving employees the freedom to customize work hours to accommodate their needs goes a long way in retaining qualified employees and will help to eliminate the stress and costs associated with employee turnover.

Offering flexible work schedules or ‘“Flex-Time” not only benefits your employees but your company as a whole. However, if you choose to give employees more freedom and control over their hours it is important to have effective scheduling software in place. Flexible work schedules can make attendance management a challenge, as well as bring in some other complications which we will cover in our next blog post. When employees are working different hours, monitoring exactly when they are working is difficult, especially if they are working remotely. Trust needs to be established with your employees. An employee scheduling software will help streamline employee time-tracking and schedule management to make sure everyone is working all their required hours.

SCHEDULING+’S ONLINE TIME CLOCK APP HELPS MAKE MANAGING FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES EASIER

Investing in an online time clock schedule app offers many of the same benefits that flexible work schedules do: it will make employees’ lives easier, it makes employees happier, and it will benefit your company as a whole. With Scheduling+’s employee scheduling software, you can easily reduce your scheduling time, better monitor if tasks are completed, and streamline your payroll processing. Employees will also be able to clock in and out on their mobile devices or computers and be able to switch shifts with co-workers when necessary. Furthermore, by investing in the best employee scheduling software, you’ll also be able to make your employees feel more empowered, which leads them to be less likely to leave at the next opportunity. Contact us today to learn how Scheduling+ can benefit your business!