Flexible Working definition

Flexible working, also known as flextime or flexitime, refers to non-traditional working arrangements that take into account an individual’s personal needs, often involving some degree of working from home. Flexible working is often used to describe any other working arrangement than the traditional nine –to-five.

Under UK law, certain groups must be offered flexible working arrangements. From 2003, parents with children under 6, or those with disabled children under 18, have the legal right to request flexible working arrangements.

Some of the benefits of flexible working for employees include a better work-life balance, lower levels of absence and lower levels of stress. The employer benefits from greater motivation and productivity, fewer overheads and an improvement in trust and the employer/employee relationship. Despite these often cited benefits, flexible working divides opinion and is seen by some as a slippery slope to too much employee freedom and reduced expectations of productivity.

One of the logistical tasks associated with flexitime is recording and managing each employee’s hours to ensure they are still fulfilling their contractual obligations. HR software is becoming more popular as an easy way for employees to record, and managers to track, hours worked.