What is flextime?

Advantages of Flextime

Before flextime programs became popular, employees had to schedule all personal activities around their workday. With a flexible schedule, you can give precedence to personal needs such as evening classes or early appointments.

There are a variety of types of flextime available, including core work hours where the employee is only required to be in the office around a core time, usually 10 am to 2 pm. This means that employees are free to start and finish at any time they wish to accommodate their schedules.

This is highly beneficial for parents because it allows them to work around emergencies or school schedules. For example, an employee who needs to get kids to daycare at 7:00 am may decide to begin work an hour later.

Commuting during off-peak hours also saves money and time, while also allowing businesses to retain key employees who would otherwise leave to meet family obligations.

The benefits for the employee are numerous including work-life balance, family friendly atmosphere, and allow for the rights of employees to be respected.

Problems for Flextime

Some employers may attempt to use flexible scheduling to require workers at home be on call. These workers are subsequently expected to come into work on short notice. While this was never the intent, it does happen.

Occasionally, some employers mistakenly think that using a flexible time arrangement helps them avoid paying overtime pay, but this is not true.

Employees who are on flextime may still be eligible for overtime.

Unpaid overtime might be a common issue for employees who use flextime and could result in compensation being needed for hours worked above the established threshold.

In addition, if your arrangements involve working from your residence, you may have issues if you get hurt while performing required work at home.

While these instances should be covered by Worker’s Compensation, some employees have had difficulty proving that the sustained injuries occurred at home during working hours and require consultation from a qualified employment law attorney.

Flextime is a double sided issue

Flextime is a benefit that allows you to have more control over your personal and work schedules.

While there may be a day at the office where your co-workers’ arrangements don’t necessarily align with the day’s workflow, these inconveniences may not occur that often, and many employees who are offered this system appreciate the added control it provides.

For some workers in the service industry, flextime might be an issue due to their schedule relying on the needs of the business. This, in turn, leads to problems down the line where the rights of the employee might be affected.

Flextime employees may still be eligible for overtime pay

If you feel that your employer is intentionally misinterpreting guidelines for their benefit, imposing strict on-call requirements, or denying you overtime pay for your work, contact the Law Office of Glenn D. Levy today for a consultation.