my flexible friend (The Working Week: Do We Work Too Many Hours?)

Member Name: fairclaire

Product:	The Working Week: Do We Work Too Many Hours?
Date:	26/03/04 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fit work around your personal life, it's ideal if you have kids

Disadvantages: can be difficult to claw back when in the red

I have been working 'flexi-time' now for about 4 years.

We have core hours in the place I work. These are between 10am and 3pm and you have to be in work between those hours. Besides the core hours I can fit the rest of my working week into the hours of 7am until 7pm.

My working week is 37 hours. I have to have a minimum of half an hour for lunch unpaid every day, but I can take up to two and a half hours if I need to. I don't strictly have to work 37 in a week. I can work less or more as long as my flex-time is within the allowed limits at the end of each 4 week period...sound complicated I know, but it's not.

I very often work more hours than I need to in order to save for extra time off. I am allowed 2 and a half days off in flexi-time in any 4 week period. Although I try to keep my hours up as much as I can, the system allows for times when that isn't possible. There is an allowance to be 2 days in defecit if you need it....the worst thing about that is making the time back up, but it's great if you're running out of leave to take.

I find that this working pattern suits me ideally as I have kids at different ages, one at nursery, one younger at school and an older one. I never know when I might be needed early in the morning for doctors appointments etc or have to finish early to pick kids up when my partner can't do it.

I think the whole idea of flexi time works very well for everyone - employers and employees. In the environment I work in, it doesn't matter when you do the work, as long as it gets done. I think being able to be flexible must make employees more realaxed and happy and therefore more likely to work to a better standard.

I know this sort of working pattern wouldn't work in every environment, but I think in jobs where straight working hours aren't essential, it's the best way to work that suits everyone.

I have been tempted to apply for o
ther jobs in the past, mostly because they offered higher salaries, but I would find it very hard to give up my flexi-time.

All in all I would recommend flexible working hours to anyone.

Summary: