Flexitime
What is flexitime - and how does it work?
Flexitime is a working scheme which allows staff to choose the hours they work. There are of course limits that have to be agreed with your employer first. These limits or rules normally revolve around 'Core Times'.
For example take the following:- Arrive for work any time between 7:00 & 10:30 (Flexitime)
- Guarantee to be in work between 10:30 & 12:30 (Core Time 1)
- Take your lunch break between 12:30 & 14:00 (Flexitime)
- Guarantee to be in work between 14:00 & 16:00 (Core Time 2)
- Have the option to work as late as 18:30 (Flexitime)
- Maximum positive period carryover hours +10:00 (See Period Ends Below)
- Maximum negative period carryover hours -9:00 (See Period Ends Below)
A standard number of hours are assigned to each day, for example 7:00 hours. If on your first day of employment you work 8 hours then at the end of the day you will have a 'Flex Balance' of +1:00 hour.
If
on the second day you work another 8 hours then your 'Flex Balance'
increases to +2:00 hours. You now have two hours in hand, which you can
use to take time off, outside your core times. This system is usually
applied over a period of one month. Your 'Flex Balance' increases and
decreases depending on the hours worked over this period.
Period Ends
At the end of the 'Flex Period' a period end calculation is done. This
calculation depends on the initial rules decided upon by the company (see points above). There are four scenarios:
- If, let's say, you had a 'Flex Balance' of +9:00 at the end of the period, then your 'Flex Balance' starting the new period would be +9:00. This is because you have not gone over the 'Maximum Positive Balance' allowed.
- If however your 'Flex Balance' was +11:00 at the end of the period then your 'Flex Balance' starting the new period would be reduced by 1:00 hour to +10:00. This in effect does not allow staff to carry large amounts of hours from one period to the next.
- If your 'Flex Balance' was -8:00 at the end of the Flex period, then your 'Flex Balance' starting the new period would be -8:00. This is because you have not gone below the 'Maximum Negative Balance' allowed.
- If your 'Flex Balance' was -11:00 at the end of the Flex period, then your 'Flex Balance' starting the new period would be -11:00. Even though your balance is below the 'Maximum Negative Balance' allowed, the negative hours are not truncated.
