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What Are Advantages/Disavantages To Flex Time?
achurch asks: "I work for a fairly large Japanese software company which runs most of its divisions on a fixed time schedule (i.e. 9:00am-5:30pm plus overtime). I happen to be in the one division that has a flex-time system, but I've been hearing rumors of late that the company is considering getting rid of that and putting us back on shift, too. My gut reaction to that is 'you do that, I quit,' but I'd like to put together a viable argument for maintaining/expanding flex here. So I'd like to get some opinions on why flex time is a Good Thing: What has flex done for you/your company? Why do you (or don't you) prefer flex to a fixed schedule? Reasons that appeal to management types would be especially helpful." I'm sure this question is one that is on quite a few minds out there. Have strong feelings about this either way, then please share them here.
The programmers here (and some other staff) are on a policy that basically says "as long as you're doing your work, we don't care if you come in".
:)
I'll tell you first hand - when I work at home, I get twice as much work done, I've been known to work at home for >70hrs a week. (and really, actually working
They're trying to abolish it (due to a new union getting it's fingers in the mix), but, it's not going to happen. If any argument, the fact taht I just stated above about my work ethic and the others' similar ethics will definately invalidate anything.
The best places that I've worked for have policies like this... Now that I'm starting to gather enough experience to where I can start having a little more impact on where I'm employed, I don't think I'll accept a job that doesn't have a policy like this.
I had a job where I was on a fixed schedule about a year ago, I eventually ended up quitting on the spot because I was tired of having to get up every morning at 6am to sit on my ass for 4 hours doing nothing (and more often than not falling asleep out of boredom). I don't have a problem with this schedule normally, but not when I'm in a chair 8 hours a day. I had no problem working hours like this when I worked at a convenience store some years ago.
I can show up at 3pm at my current job and no argument. I'm pretty sure upper management doesn't like it (mainly because they have to come in early), but they deal with it, because I bust my ass.
The other option is salary, which is great as long as it doesn't come with a "you still gotta be here from this time to that time" order.
To put it best, your programmers work best when they're comfortable. Make your thinkers comfortable and they will think more for you.
Generally, if you have good staff, your programmers are also better at managing themselves than anyone in upper management can do.
'Good' programmers have the drive to code and learn regardless of someone telling them how to do it. A good manager (like mine, and the one at my last job, which, obviously, are both programmers as well) knows that I'm going to do it my way regardless of what he says and stays the fuck out of my way.
He also knows, that he's going to get a higher quality of work out of me for doing that.
I would explain to your whomever that you are simply more productive when you are able to modify your own hours, and generally hint at a relocation in employment if he's not interested in listening.
Talk to the other employees about it, and get a petition signed. This has worked in our office, as none of us are quiet about opinions in the workplace -- this works very well with the right management.
The wrong management, IMHO, shoudln't be signing your checks. If you can't find a place that accomodates your needs, the tech world is too big now to waste away your life busting your ass for someone who really lets it know they don't give a shit about you.
I would take a 10k-20k salary hit for a better work environment, but that's just me.
-Erik-
Pro: you get to take a day off occasionally.
Con: that day is usually coincident with a day another co-worker needs your: help, expertise, advice, signature, presence in a meeting/etc.
I guess we are all living in a high-tech world where you don't need to be anywhere physically to get work done. Unfortunately, that is something that often only works in theory. When you are working with a group of other people you need to be there to work with (or for) them. I realize that there are jobs that can largely be done independently and only require group meetings when certain milestones are achieved, but many jobs involve working in groups, and consulting with people in those groups.
How many people have been at a meeting that went nowhere because "someone" was "taking thier day". Don't get me wrong. I am all in favour of flexible work schedules and in a well organized operation this would probably lead to happier and more productive employees, but this freedom has to be tempered with responsibility. It would be nice if flex-days were not taken on days when inter-departmental meetings were taking place, or during times when that person is a central figure on a project. It is important to realize that when you are gone, everyone who needs you is screwed (unless you spend the day answering email and phone calls, which defeats the purpose of taking the day off).
My suggestion (or feeling anyway) is that a four day week (every two weeks) is a good idea but that everyone should take thier flex-day at the same time (so a particular workgroup might agree to take every second Friday off when possible).
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Flex time wasn't helping morale, as people would be frustrated and resentful at someone who wasn't around when they needed them.
Possibly in a less interactive, modular, environment, where programmers can go off and code in a vacuum for a week, it would work. For anything which requires a lot of team interaction, and changes in direction to meet the market on a regular basis, it's dangerous, IMO...
-me
Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
Better known as flexi-time here in the UK where I work, flex-time's key benefit is allowing workers to do what they like when they like doing it. I'm an early office person. I do some of my best work before 9am when the hordes arrive.
The main arguement against flex-time is that of communication. You can't exactly talk to someone at 5:15pm if they clock off at 5:00pm on the dot everyday. It depends on your job. If you have to talk to people all day long then theres a real arguement for keeping you in the office at times you're going to be needed. Difficult to argue against common sense. But, conversely, if you're someone that is able to get on with your job on your own without the distractions of things like late meetings, then its a preferable situation to have you doing your very best work at the time you prefer to be doing it.
As with everything I suppose, look at it from the managers perspective too, once you can grasp their view its much easier to argue against it.
http://twitter.com/onion2k
My compeny has an 80 hour flex period. I don't know how common it is, but I think it's great.
Pairs of weeks are identified (a Week 1 and a Week 2). You can work extra in Week 1 and carry those hours over to Week 2 and take that time off. You can also take hours off in Week 1 and then work those extra hours in Week 2. Essentially, I charge hours over 40 to the 80 hour flex account and credit myself hours when under 40 hours. After the two weeks, the balnace must be zero.
Flex time can also be done within a week as typically done. [strong]tsetem[/strong] lists good reasons. It's hard for me to get overtime, so this is helpful if I'm meeting a deadline, I can take that time off the following week.
It makes it easier to spend time with family, run errands, doctor's appointments, etc.
There is a problem as well. If I work extra the first week, and then have to meet a deadline, I lose those extra hours.
In addition, if you are approved for overtime, you can't use the 80 hour flex time (only within the same week). That's becuase I have to donate 5 hours each week before being paid overtime.
I think flex time is great. It improves moral, and improves business since employees and be flexible with their work hours.
I have to add that I work in an engineering firm, so there isn't consistent customer contact. Some departments elect to not approve flex time, giving managers some say in what works best for their department.
~afniv
"Man könnte froh sein, wenn die Luft so rein wäre wie das Bier"
~afniv
"Man könnte froh sein, wenn die Luft so rein wäre wie das Bier"
Richard von Weizs
We started out on total flex time, which basically meant that we both worked whenever we could, but with no particular stipulation about the hours. This worked out pretty well because A) it was just the two of us and B) there was a lot of work to be done that we both had a personal investment in. Sometimes we would fall into these cycles where one week, every day would be 9-6ish, the next week would be 11-8ish, the next week would be 1(PM) to 10ish, and so on - sometimes we went all the way around the clock back to 9-6!
As we got more clients and had to do more client interaction, we found it wasn't feasible to make come in the office at 1 PM and expect to be able to make all the needed calls, run all the needed errands, etc. before other businesses closed, and still be professional about it. So we set some loosely defined hours of 9ish to 5ish that we both pretty much followed. That was also a happy time.
We recently hired an employee, and that changes everything. Unless employees are extremely self directed and have a significant investment in what they're doing, I think the need to have someone around to answer questions and provide some guidance when appropriate. It wouldn't work at all to have a 3 (or 4, or 5, or more) person company where everyone comes in at their leisure and just hopes that the tasks that require 2 or more people to be present at one time would get done. So now we have pretty standard 9-5 hours, with a policy that it's fine if you're out of the office for a while or if you want to vary those hours, just make sure to give some notice, and make sure to make up any lost time somehow.
I agree with other posters that the hours should depend on what kind of company it is, what kind of people are working there, and what the needs for interaction with the outside world require.
Our company is on Flex time with mandatory core hours from 9-3. This basically means you must be in the plant between 9am & 3pm, but you can arrive at 6:30 & leave at 3, or show up at 9am & leave at 5:30. But those 6 hours you must be in plant so meetings can be held, & business can be done
*) Reduced use in PTO (personal time off). You can have a Dr. appointment early in the morning or late in the afternoon & not use that time off
*) Don't have to be stressed over making it in at a given time. You don't have to cuss over traffic being bad & showing up at 9:10, while your boss is bitching that you showed up late
*) Reduced micro-management. Managers don't have to stand around and see when you come in & go just to make sure that you show up by 9am
*) Good for early risers/late risers. I'm usually into work by 6:30 so I can get out while there is still sunlight. Ok, during the summer there is sunlight, but still. It's nice to go for bike rides & do something outside after work to blow off steam.
*) Can increase support coverage. I work in IT as well, and people in my department work from as early as 5:30 in the morning (don't know how) to as late as 5:30-6pm in the evening. So by having flextime, employees can come & go as they need or want, and can stagger the coverage in a department or area.
*) Employee moral/perks. In this day and age where Tech workers are hard to come by, they should be treated more like gold. If they do decide to take away flex-time, quit & work for someplace that does have flex-time unless you really really really like what you are doing. I wouldn't give up flex-time, I won't give up the option of wearing blue jeans. If my company takes that away, there are at least 5 other companies in the are that still offer these perks and are hiring. Your company should also be concerned about keeping their employees happy. I seriously doubt you are the only one that would consider walking if flex-time disappears.
Those are some of the big reasons I see for flex time. It doesn't just help the employees but the company as well. It helps keep the company competitive, by offering a perk that really won't cost the company much if anything.
#include "std_disclaimer.h"
I can get more work done between 8am and 10am some days than I can get done in the *entire* rest of the day. I realise some people here will be saying "Oh my god! How can you even get up before 6pm? I can only code at night, etc etc.", and that's rather my point - I'm not one of those people, and if I was, I'd be working different hours. If I couldn't start work until 9 (hey, if I dont get to go home until 5.30 I'm *not* starting early, except for special events of course) - then I've lost a lot of productive time. By the afternoon, I've had lunch, some days I might as well just take a nap, because I can't get anything clever done. Afternoon is when I surf the web, patch up documentation, and play with new software.
I can "work" all day - I can sit at my desk and do stuff, but when it comes to those insightful rushes of productive time, when the ideas are flowing, and code is pouring from my fingertips - those times I can't just decide to produce "on demand". If my employer wants them (and of course they do), they better be letting me work so that I'm here when the muse visits. Otherwise I'm just another drone, plodding along...
my 0.02,
Mike.
Tales from behind the Lagom Curtain
As the general manager of a medium sized ecommerce company in my country, i wouldn't accept anything BUT flex time. my reasons:
1- not everyone is productive during the same hours of the day, and noone is productive all day long. basically by giving employees the ability to choose their schedule, productivity tends to go up.
2- by basing work requirements on deliverables, instead of hours, individual tend to take more responsibility for their job thus resulting in much more creative solutions and higher quality results
3- we do not meet. if we need to comunicate, we chat, email, call or leave post-it notes on each other desks. once you have an automated system where you can assign and retreive tasks, the need to meet is reduced to a few occasious where you can usually just conference call the parties and discuss, wherever they are.
4- higher employee retention and overall satisfaction
there is a downside for flex time though, employees tend to work much more due to the fact that management usually assumes that flextime means you're ther 24/7.
There are two kinds of people in the world: Those with good memory.