Flexible Working Hours

[Deleted Member 1156]

Do you not think its possible to raise a child and work full time?

You misunderstand Brian, it's so the child can look after Homer

 

[gmc40]

Been looking into this once the adoption process begins in earnest and at the moment the management are saying th department can't accommodate it to support business needs. Complete BS and I'm going to make an official request in due course to work four days per week and either go part time or do a compressed week. I expect them to fight it but we've had part time staff before including mothers so doubt once I get the union and HR involved there will be a good old fashioned bun fight

Is this so your wife can continue to work full time?

 

[London mike 61]

The other thing with flexi time is that a few employers may change the game by adopting a 'banked hours' system where you agree to work extra hours in a set period when it's busy at work.
the downside to this is that if work is slack and that could be mid winter, then you could find yourself at home twiddling your thumbs when the weather is crap outside and working like a Trojan in the nice sunny time of year.

Time will tell but I bet there will not be many winners out of this new initiative.

 

[SocketRocket]

I dont think its an Employers responsibility to support our lifestyle choices. OK, if working different hours has no effect on the job or any service it gives to customers then I can see that it would be reasonable for the Employer to assist their Employee with any genuine hardship it would help to alleviate.

Somehow over the recent decades we have sleepwalked into a frame of mind whereby we are no longer responsible for our own actions, someone else like the Employer or Government are responsible for our well being and we should expect to be at least fairly well off. This certainly is the case in the Public sector where if they don't get their way then the Union will sort it out!

 

[jp5]

I dont think its an Employers responsibility to support our lifestyle choices. OK, if working different hours has no effect on the job or any service it gives to customers then I can see that it would be reasonable for the Employer to assist their Employee with any genuine hardship it would help to alleviate.

Somehow over the recent decades we have sleepwalked into a frame of mind whereby we are no longer responsible for our own actions, someone else like the Employer or Government are responsible for our well being and we should expect to be at least fairly well off. This certainly is the case in the Public sector where if they don't get their way then the Union will sort it out!

Or conversely perhaps we have sleepwalked into a society where it's seen as a must to work 9-5, commuting twice a day in rush hour, to jobs which many people could do at least partially from home.

 

[SocketRocket]

Or conversely perhaps we have sleepwalked into a society where it's seen as a must to work 9-5, commuting twice a day in rush hour, to jobs which many people could do at least partially from home.

The piper calls the tune. If someone wants to work to suit themselves then they can always start their own business.

 

[jp5]

The piper calls the tune. If someone wants to work to suit themselves then they can always start their own business.

Foolhardy of the piper not to recognise that s/he could get better performance from their staff by treating them better. Henry Ford recognised this.

 

[SocketRocket]

Foolhardy of the piper not to recognise that s/he could get better performance from their staff by treating them better. Henry Ford recognised this.

Yes Henry also introduced the first Robots into the production line.

Customers want someone there to give a service when its needed, not when its convenient to the supplier.

"Mr Smith, you wont be having your operation today as the Surgeon has decided to work early mornings and finish at mid day!" It may be suitable for some people but not in the majority of cases so IMO its not fair. I experienced the squabbling between people who worked for me who wanted to work from home and the service staff who couldn't, in the end it was better to get them all to come to the office.

 

[c1973]

Yes Henry also introduced the first Robots into the production line.

Customers want someone there to give a service when its needed, not when its convenient to the supplier.

"Mr Smith, you wont be having your operation today as the Surgeon has decided to work early mornings and finish at mid day!" It may be suitable for some people but not in the majority of cases so IMO its not fair. I experienced the squabbling between people who worked for me who wanted to work from home and the service staff who couldn't, in the end it was better to get them all to come to the office.[/QUOTE]




And that part right there is exactly why most bosses will hide behind the 'business needs' reasoning. Why should someone feel they have the right to work 4 days (compressed week) because they have a kid or whatever whilst others do 5 days (for example) to provide cover?

I know of a fella who works different hours (early start/finish) to his colleagues and does the square root of fu(infraction)ll for the first 90 mins as no one is there to supervise. Spends the time having a coffee and reading papers. Colleagues mention it to supervisor who does nothing. They suffer as he isn't pulling his weight and supervisor is gutless. Allowing him to work this way and not others has only created a poor working environment and less productivity (which is saying something as he's a lazy sod at the best of times).

Nothing wrong with it in principle, but flawed as soon as people are introduced to the equation.

 

[need_my_wedge]

I've been working flexi-time for about 10 years now. I usually start at 7:00 finish 3:30 allowing me more time in the evenings, especially on two days a week I work at home. Flexible hours is the way forward, in the event that core hours require cover, it's not that hard to split shifts and rotate people. Life shouldn't be living to work.

 

[need_my_wedge]

I've been working flexi-time for about 10 years now. I usually start at 7:00 finish 3:30 allowing me more time in the evenings, especially on two days a week I work at home. Flexible hours is the way forward, in the event that core hours require cover, it's not that hard to split shifts and rotate people. Life shouldn't be living to work.

Coincidentally just had an email from HR stating that some are already doing flexible work, new requests will be considered and approved in line with this framework. the govt. legislation just adding a framework to our current informal policy.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I can do my job from anywhere and at any time of the day. All of my work colleagues are European, Indian or American (I don't work with any British). My constraints are therefore that I must chair and join meetings that can include attendees from west coast USA to India and so can happen at almost any time of the day from 7am to 8pm. Other than that - flexible. And my company expects me to work from home.

 

[SocketRocket]

I can do my job from anywhere and at any time of the day. All of my work colleagues are European, Indian or American (I don't work with any British). My constraints are therefore that I must chair and join meetings that can include attendees from west coast USA to India and so can happen at almost any time of the day from 7am to 8pm. Other than that - flexible. And my company expects me to work from home.

Thats great for you but many people's jobs dictate they cant work that way. Please clarify your point?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Thats great for you but many people's jobs dictate they cant work that way. Please clarify your point?

I guess I am saying that for some jobs and some people flexible working is OK and works fine - but is not always a good thing. My company allows me to work flexibly but my company expects me to be flexible to meet their needs.

 

[Rooter]

My company allows me to work flexibly but my company expects me to be flexible to meet their needs.

There is the point, i can see loads of people jumping on bandwagons trying to squeeze a few extra hours mon-thu to get an early bath on a Friday, yet when the company need them to be flexible, I wonder how great the response will be?!

 

[Hacker Khan]

I've worked from home for over 10 years and am sort of on flexible hours. My company takes the attitude of as long as I get the job done and don't take the michael they don't mind. Works both ways, sometimes I'll knock off early on a Friday and I can take my daughter to school most days. But on the other hand I do work some evenings. Give and take.

But I appreciate it won't work for everyone and you need a mature employer (and boss, as some just can't cope unless they can see you, tends to be the micro managing command and control bosses from my experience) and the employee has to have the right attitude. But I can begin to think of the amount of time (and petrol money) I have saved by not commuting to work.

 

[SocketRocket]

I've worked from home for over 10 years and am sort of on flexible hours. My company takes the attitude of as long as I get the job done and don't take the michael they don't mind. Works both ways, sometimes I'll knock off early on a Friday and I can take my daughter to school most days. But on the other hand I do work some evenings. Give and take.

But I appreciate it won't work for everyone and you need a mature employer (and boss, as some just can't cope unless they can see you, tends to be the micro managing command and control bosses from my experience) and the employee has to have the right attitude. But I can begin to think of the amount of time (and petrol money) I have saved by not commuting to work.

Thats very good for you. I see you acknowledge that many people cannot work this way due to the nature of their jobs, it's not just a matter of the employer being immature and needing to micro manage. My own experience is that it can be quite a complex issue and the workforce also need to adopt a mature attitude. Petty squabbling between those that can and those that cant tend to drive the Employer to stop the practice of working from home.

 

[jp5]

Thats very good for you. I see you acknowledge that many people cannot work this way due to the nature of their jobs, it's not just a matter of the employer being immature and needing to micro manage. My own experience is that it can be quite a complex issue and the workforce also need to adopt a mature attitude. Petty squabbling between those that can and those that cant tend to drive the Employer to stop the practice of working from home.

Quite an immature stance that squabbling between staff should remove the possibility for anyone to work from home. Of course there will be jobs that can't be done remotely, but in this day and age the vast majority of jobs can. The more progressive employers have recognised this.

Should everyone also be paid the same to prevent squabbling?

 

[SocketRocket]

Quite an immature stance that squabbling between staff should remove the possibility for anyone to work from home. Of course there will be jobs that can't be done remotely, but in this day and age the vast majority of jobs can. The more progressive employers have recognised this.

Should everyone also be paid the same to prevent squabbling?

"The vast majority of jobs' What a sweeping generalisation, based on what exactly? I guess you have never held down a job where peoples livelihoods rely on you keeping them in work.

Now lets consider your words of wisdom on the vast majority:

Doctors: How about them?
OK, Nurses? No!
OK, Policemen?
Firemen?
Dentists?
Train Drivers?
Bus Drivers?
Motor mechanics?
Supermarket staff?
Lorry Drivers?
Golf professionals?
Teachers?
Cafe/Restaurant staff?
Shop workers?
Solicitors?
Central heating engineers?

And so on and so forth! Saying "The vast majority is stupid, are you are probably someone who works for the council pushing paper around or some other job where people don't understand the meaning of customers?

I wait with bated breath for your next instalment but please think it through first.

 

[London mike 61]

"The vast majority of jobs' What a sweeping generalisation, based on what exactly? I guess you have never held down a job where peoples livelihoods rely on you keeping them in work.

Now lets consider your words of wisdom on the vast majority:

Doctors: How about them?
OK, Nurses? No!
OK, Policemen?
Firemen?
Dentists?
Train Drivers?
Bus Drivers?
Motor mechanics?
Supermarket staff?
Lorry Drivers?
Golf professionals?
Teachers?
Cafe/Restaurant staff?
Shop workers?
Solicitors?
Central heating engineers?

And so on and so forth! Saying "The vast majority is stupid, are you are probably someone who works for the council pushing paper around or some other job where people don't understand the meaning of customers?

I wait with bated breath for your next instalment but please think it through first.

You obviously work in a customer driven business and I understand your point of view ,but I think it is wise to consider what exactly are 'normal' hours of work and what can be considered flexible.

If someone works from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday without deviation then that could be classed as fixed hours. But if that same person as a requirement of their job to attend evening meetings on a regular basis , then takes that time off ( because they won't get paid ) , this could be interpreted as flexible working.

In many customer driven businesses the need to fulfill orders at short notice require the staff to have a flexible hours contract, this can take the form of banked hours where an amount of hours are agreed to be banked ( say 100 hours to be worked in any one year) when orders need to be fulfilled . In the slack times you may not have to attend your place of work.

There are a few other working patterns where flexibility is built into workers contracts , all of them flexible to a degree.

Some people see flexible working as doing less hours or the same hours but in a different way , no one way is right or wrong just different.