How Does a Flexible Schedule Work?

In her iconic 1980 film '9 to 5', Dolly Parton immortalised the line "Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living", which is as relevant today as it was four decades ago. However, the work landscape is ever-changing, and we are witnessing a rising trend of embracing flexible schedules that cater to individual needs and preferences.

Work schedules vary among employers, with some using fixed time schedules where employees must clock in and out at specific times, while others use fixed duration schedules where employees work a certain number of hours per workday.

The rise of flexible work has brought about changes in how people work. Many businesses now offer employees the freedom to work at their preferred times as long as they complete a certain number of hours per week or month. This trend, often referred to as "flextime", “flexitime”, and “flexible employment, has been embraced by organisations that value the benefits it offers to both employees and employers.

Managing Absences

In TimeMoto Cloud, you can set schedules: fixed time and fixed duration, but there is also the option to pick a flexible hours schedule. Unlike other schedules, it does not create fixed hours per day or any fixed workday per week. As a result, an employee can work as much as they want on any day during the defined period. However, this means learning to manage these schedules differently than other, more traditional working hours.

In our TimeMoto Plus Plan, one significant difference from a fixed time or fixed duration schedule is how absences are managed. Managers can schedule absences such as sickness, holidays, or national holidays, while employees can request time off. The process for handling absences differs based on whether you have a fixed time or fixed duration schedule versus a flexible hours schedule. In TimeMoto Plus, managers can specify the duration of a full-day absence on specific days of the week. If an employee has one or more full-day absences, the absence duration defined in the schedule settings will determine their total absence time.

Planning and Reporting with Flexible Hours

When considering the implementation of flexible hours, it is essential to take into account planning and reporting. It's important to note that the flexible hours schedule applies only to full weeks or months and must start on the first and end on the last day of the week (typically Monday to Sunday) for weekly schedules or on the first and last day of the month for monthly schedules. TimeMoto will automatically enforce these settings to simplify this process when creating a flexible schedule.

The use of full weeks or months simplifies the reporting process. If employees are assigned to a flexible hours schedule, you will only receive reports that include complete weeks or months. If you select any other period, our system will remind you that the period must consist solely of full weeks or months, depending on the set schedule. Additionally, it's important to note that scheduled shifts cannot be documented per day, but their worked time will still be documented accurately; TimeMoto will mark the employee as 'flex'.

A Valuable Tool for Businesses

Ultimately, the flexible hours schedule option in TimeMoto Cloud is a valuable tool for businesses that offer flexible work arrangements to their employees. We have also observed that this schedule type is commonly used by companies that operate with shifts and are open 24/7 but is also incredibly useful to companies who offer work to freelance employees or only want to know how much an employee has worked with no preference for when. It provides these businesses with a flexible way to organise work schedules. Therefore, the flexible hours schedule benefits employees and employers alike.

To get started on TimeMoto’s Time and Attendance solution, check out our Cloud Plans and try the free 30 days of our most advanced Plus Plan. If you need more guidance on what TimeMoto can do for you, read our short guide that quickly walks you through our flexible solution.