Flexible Working Hours Policy Template

Introduction

Why We Have a Flexible Working Hours Policy

The usual 9-to-5 grind isn’t for everyone. And it might not be the most productive or even just convenient for your lifestyle. So, to make sure you’re equipped to find work-life harmony, here’s a policy that lets you take a bit more control of your work life.

This policy is for all full-time and part-time employees who need a little flexibility in their work and those whose job responsibilities are conducive to an adjusted schedule.

Our Flexible Working Hours Policy

What are Flexible Working Hours?

Flexible working hours refers to any non-set working schedule, where the employee has some choice in when and how they work.

Such that on Mondays, an employee might work 9 to 5 from the office. But on Tuesdays, they might work from 8 to 7 (with a 3-hour break in the middle of the day) from home.

Our Flexible Working Hours Policy

We are happy to provide flexible working hours that accommodate your needs.

Common examples of why you may need more time flexibility are:

• Doctor's appointments (long or short-term).
• Being a parent.
• Work-life balance.

Whatever your reason is — we are here to help YOU!

What Flexible Working Hours Look Like

There are a bunch of different ways that you can rearrange your work schedule:

• Flexible working time. Meaning, you can choose to come to work a little later or leave a little early! Your total hours worked in a week remain the same, but the time you are working can be changed. “Core hours” (usually 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) may be established for when you must be at work.
• Reduced hours. AKA you work fewer hours than you were initially scheduled for when hired. Either you work fewer hours a day or fewer days a week. If you choose this route, your salary may be adjusted accordingly.
• Compressed week. This refers to working longer hours a few days a week. That way, you can work fewer days in a week while keeping your total hours in a week (and your salary) the same.
• “Flexible year.” Probably the most uncommon work schedule. This is where you are given a specific amount of hours to work throughout a calendar year. But can control when and where you work them.
• Job sharing. This is where you and another coworker can divide and perform the same job. Such that each of your work 20 hours per week and split responsibilities.

If you have questions about any of these flexible work arrangements, please talk to your manager/HR.

Qualifications for Flexible Working Hours

To be considered for a more flexible work schedule, we take into considerations a few things:

• Your position in the company. If your job requires you to work during a specific time or have a full workload, you may not qualify.
• Team collaboration. Some departments (such as marketing) may need all hands on deck for projects. In this case, we will require that everyone work in-person and at the same hours.
• Coworkers workload. Should you work in an area where teamwork is essential, you may not get an adjusted schedule. This is so that communication and collaboration can continue to run smoothly.
• Duration of adjusted hours. We will always allow you to change your schedule on a one-off basis (such as caring for your child or medical recovery). But for longer-term adjustments, you might be asked to return to your regular working hours at any time.
• Customer satisfaction. If your new adjusted hours strain the company-customer relationship, you will be asked to return to regular working hours.

Overall, we want to work with you so you can be your best! Should your job allow, we will work to get you a schedule that fits your lifestyle.

How To Get a Flexible Work Schedule

The process for getting a flexible working schedule is as follows:

• File an official request for a flexible schedule with your manager. Be sure to include why you are filing this request and what you want your adjusted schedule to look like.  
• Your request will be accepted or denied depending on your manager’s discretion (considering the qualifications outlined earlier in the policy).  
• If you are not approved for flexible hours, you will be given a formal letter explaining why from your manager. And the process stops here.
• If your manager accepts your request, HR will then need to approve it as well.
• Once approved, you will meet with your manager to go over expectations, work goals, and work out any other details for your new arrangement.
• HR will write up a formal agreement for all parties to sign, including you, your manager, and HR.

Moving forward, you and your manager will routinely meet twice a month to discuss progress, align goals, and work through potential issues.

Note: Your flexible work schedule can be discontinued at any time if you or your team become unproductive due to the arrangement.

Disciplinary Action

The following may trigger disciplinary action:

• Abusing your flexible work schedule in any way.
• Not working all your scheduled hours.
• Forgetting to communicate progress or roadblocks.
• Failing to meet deadlines or expectations.

If you are found doing any of these things, we will apply our usual disciplinary action policy to resolve the issue.

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Have a question about this policy? Reach out to a member of our HR.