The concept of flexible hours can be understood as the independence provided to employees to choose when they want to start and finish work. It can work as a good retaining strategy as employees feel they have a work- life balance.

Most flexible working hour schemes have a core time, which is that period during the day where employees must be present. A typical core time would be 10 00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. However these schemes can vary as per the company policies, core time and the nature of the business.

Employees work during the core time as well as the hours of their choice according to a flexible band over an agreed period. This period is the contracted hour or the accounting period and is typically four weeks long. Some schemes permit for an excess or deficit (within set limits) to be carried over to the next accounting period. The hours are credited for absences such as sickness or holidays.

Flexible working hours offer a sense of freedom to the employees and can help boost their morale. It reduces absenteeism and late coming to quite an extent as employees can manage their personal and professional priorities.  It enables easy commuting during the rush hours.

It gives you a feeling of personal control over your time and work environment. It motivates people to accomplish the most as they feel refreshed and are no longer burdened to perform within the confines of the conventional work hours. Depending on the flexible work schedule chosen, it may decrease external childcare hours and costs.

The employee commitment to the organization increases, leading to a reduced turnover of valued staff. The organization starts having an employee friendly image with its flexible work schedules. The other intangible benefits include better quality of life and coping better with non-work responsibilities.

Flexible time schemes are not free from criticism. There is certain cost involved in managing the scheme and in cases where the work hours of the office premises are extended, there may be increased costs for lighting and heating.  It may not work well with organizations that require continuous cover and therefore employees not working at certain hours might impact their work flow.

If you have family responsibilities or have to devote much time to other commitments especially if you have younger children, then this can easily interfere with your necessary work hours as well. When there is a flexible easygoing schedule, it is not always simple to gather motivation and self discipline to make such changes.

Whether the flexible work schedules involved compresses work days, flexible daily hours, or telecommuting, challenges still exist for the employer and the employee. There is a lower pay if you work fewer hours and at times there is a sense that you have been forced into it by circumstances not of your choosing. It can also be an obstruction to promotion as it is difficult to judge the performance.

Managers will face many of the same issues as the new graduates: promotion, finances, and the attitudes of their own managers and colleagues. The attitudes towards managers who job-share are changing at every level.

Conclusion:
Flexible schedules may support positive morale and job satisfaction but these schedules must also operate to meet the needs of businesses as well. One must find the perfect balance between flexible and productive. This involves coping with the home and office distractions.

One can prepare a daily schedule to combat the imbalance. The daily schedule should comprise of certain task that are on the high priority list to be completed within that given day. This leaves time for creativity and networking for the other less structured task. This combination can work well and eliminate work pressure to certain extent.