FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS

The Effect of Flexible Working Hours on Employee Satisfaction and Performance

[Name of the Institute]

Abstract

The paper aims at discussing the concept of flexible working hours and its impact on the satisfaction and performance of an employee. Moreover, real time examples of two companies are presented in the report to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of the flexible working schedule.

Table of Contents

Abstractii

Introduction1

Flexible Working Hours1

Advantages of Flexible Working Schedule2

Reduced Absenteeism2

Work Life Balance3

Enhances creativity3

Employee Satisfaction4

Improved performance4

Advantages for women4

People with Different Physiological Needs5

Cost Efficient5

Disadvantages of Flexible Working Schedule5

Non-Applicability to all Positions6

Disciplinary implications6

Teamwork6

Effect of flexible working hours on employee satisfaction and performance: A field experiment7

Flexible Working Hours- Case Studies7

The Successful implementation of Flexible Work Hours Schedule by IBM Austria7

Conclusion11

References13

The Effect of Flexible Working Hours on Employee Satisfaction and Performance

Introduction

The flexible working schedule is a plan that allows employees to set their working hours around a central hourly basis. It's called flexible schedule because workers flexibly determine the time of entry and exit. In simple words, flexibility means a better distribution of working time rather than shorter hours. This working schedule has resulted in higher level of employee satisfaction, increased productivity, and better working environment in addition to proper management of working time. Employees are authorized to manage their job schedules, hence reducing absenteeism. This phenomenon has proved to extremely useful especially in case of working mothers, who find it difficult to manage their job along with their family life. However, this concept is associated with certain disadvantages as it does not apply to all kinds of jobs and professions. Olympics is the most awaited event for the host country and everyone wants to be an eye witness to this event. However, it becomes very difficult for the full time office employees to enjoy this event with high enthusiasm. The concept of flexible working hours can help to reduce congestion during that time as it will allow the office workers to complete their task as per their convenience and enjoy the event.

Flexible Working Hours

Flexible working hours refers to an option offered by the organization to the employees in which they select their own working hours, usually within the approximate boundaries of the time period determined by the employer. This concept was originated in Germany, and since then, many employers around the world offer this option to their employees. For employees, there is a clear advantage to flexible schedules, allowing them to make changes to their working hours in accordance with their personal life (European Industrial Relations Review 1999, 26-31).

Employers benefit from this type of programming as it tends to increase employee satisfaction and retention, which results in a much better and more productive work for the company. In addition, the flexible schedule can allow companies to serve more customers, as employees around different hours would be available to answer phones, attend meetings, etc (Dex, and McCullough, 1995, 15-21). For example, a company that offers flexible schedules might be able to answer the queries of customers from six in the morning until nine at night, ...