My best HR management idea: A flex-time formula for employees on fixed schedules
September 4, 2008 by Jim GiulianoPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Incentives, Latest News & Views, Leave, My best management idea, policies
HR manager Ginny Priborsky kept fielding requests for flex-time from employees who had to be on fixed, strict schedules. Granting the requests looked impossible until she figured out an innovative approach.
Her story:
Our employees were always asking about the possibility of starting a flex-time program, but it just wasn’t practical for us.
Most of the jobs we have require that people be at their workplaces for set hours each day. So, as much as we wanted to use flex-time, the demands of business wouldn’t allow it.
We explained that to our employees, but they still grumbled a bit. A lot of them had families, and wanted the ability to modify schedules so they could make it to a daytime recital, ballgame or other similar event.
Maybe there was a way to accommodate them without having a full-blown flex-time program.
‘Flex 4′
There was. We called it “Flex 4.”
We gave each employee four hours to “play with” every two-week pay period. In other words, they could use four hours of flex time every two weeks, but they’d have to make sure they somehow put in the full 80 hours by the end of the two-week period.
For instance, if you left two hours early one day, you’d have to make sure you made up the two hours by the end of the pay period.
The system requires a little more tracking than we were used to, but it’s been well worth it. Our employees love it, and the system presents almost no disruption to our schedules.
(Ginny Priborsky, HR manager, Mac Tac Nellis, North Las Vegas, NV)
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September 8th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
If these are hourly employees and you allow them to flex 4 hours over a two week period, remember that any hours over 40 in a “work week” will be overtime. You cannot negate that by paying 38 regular hours one week and 42 regular hours the next. It will be 38 regular, 40 regular and 2 overtime.
It’s a good idea but you need to make sure you don’t inadvertently end up with an FLSA violation.
September 8th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Doesn’t that have to be done within the workweek? Or are all of the employees in question exempt from the federal Fair Labor Standards Act?
September 8th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Is this in addition to PTO time or vacation/sick time? Our company has PTO instead of sick time or vacation time. This time is to be used when an employee needs time off for anything, including personal time for errands or “soccer games”. Also, what if you have more than one employee that wants the same time off? How do you manage that without conflict or hurt feelings if one is told no? In small companies, that could be a problem.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I am in agreement with John Sanford if these are non-exempt team members. Overtime time for non-exempt is any time over 40 hours in a consecutive 7 day period.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
what about putting them on a fixed salary for fluctuating hours?
September 8th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
In California you not only have to over 40 in a week but OT over 8 in a day. So this would not work for hourly. How do you explain this to your hourly folks without hurting feelings.
September 8th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Also in Referance to Sue Rice, You can only have certain employees on Salary. If you pay them salary but also pay OT you are in the same boat. You have to follow over 40 and in CA over 8.
September 8th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
We have a similar program in place because while we are all salary, people still want flexibility within our advertised “office hours”. What we have done is that each employee teams up with another in their area or with someone who can back them up if need be. Then they are allowed to trade off days or weeks (taking turns essentially) for flex time. The stipulation is that each person should have at least 7 hours of work in for the day they flex and that they need to have 80 hours in by the end of two weeks. It seems to be working beautifully so far, as people have more flexibilty (especially now that their kids are back in school and weather is getting iffy some days) and work is still being done. It also helps manage stress levels around the office some, because there is more ability to take care of yourself as a person and as an employee.
September 8th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
From what I understand about a fixted weekly salary for fluctuating work week, is you still have to pay extra for the overtime, but it is just half time, not overtime. Also, if the workweek doesn’t fluctuate enough, the employees can come back and sue for overtime. The fluctuating work week method of pay, needs to fluctuate more than just a couple of hours per week.
September 8th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
In re: to Sue Rice, only if they are eligible/qualify for exempt status. There are still a lot of companies not in compliance in this area.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:32 am
If they are exempt employees, I believe you may be jeopardizing that exempt status by forcing them to make-up hours missed. You are essentially treating them like hourly employees. As exempt employees, we are required to work as many hours as it takes to get the job done, whether that be 60 hours, 40 hours, or 30 hours. We are paid the same salary regardless of # of hours worked. How do you justify forcing exempt employees to make up 2 hours that they may need on occasion to tend to personal family matters?
September 9th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Nancy T is correct about the exempt employees. Essentially, exempt employees must be paid their full salary for as little as one hour worked in a day. Having said that, for non-exempt employees, whether they are paid on a salary basis or an hourly basis, in California an employer may have the employee complete a Make-Up Time Request that will prevent the employer from having to pay OT on the day the employee makes up the time. We created our own form, but you may be able to find a sample on the California Chamber of Commerce website. And, as a matter of fact, in California, employers are required to allow employees to take unpaid time off for a variety of reasons related to “family business.”
September 9th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
This is a great idea if your state allows this type of shuffling. California law doesn’t allow us this type of flexibility.