Memo Date To October 8 2014 Jeffry R Immelt General Electric CEO Tim Cook Apple Inc CEO Mary T Barra General Motors CEO Larry Page Google CEO From Samantha Ryon Wildlife and Fisheries Texas A M University Subject Proposal for Flex Time work schedules Purpose The purpose of this proposal is to suggest a modified flex time work schedule to be implemented in the betterment of your business Summary Throughout the American workforce today morale has taken a hit due to our struggling economy American s are having to work more hours to support their families often at the cost of spending time with them Employee benefits have taken a hit because they are not economically feasible for employers How can an organization boost morale among their employees without being able to boost their benefit packages Through the implementation of flex time employees can create time to spend with their families and managing their personal lives effectively boosting morale and productivity at no added cost to the employer Flex time can help increase overall productivity and satisfaction in the workplace and reduce turnover and absenteeism Flex Time Defined While ultimately defined by individual employers or organizations flex time may include parttime hours a compressed workweek telecommuting break arrangements shift flexibility job sharing alternating locations or flexible schedules Generally employees are able to begin and end work at varying times but still maintain a set number of hours during the workweek Benefits of Flex Time Employees A Better balance between work and family life Flex times allows employees more opportunity to manage their work obligations with personal obligations can help reduce stress levels and increase productivity at work Employees are able to focus more on what needs to be done at work when they know that their life outside of work has been managed HR professionals report that having a flexible work arrangement with greater autonomy had a positive impact on employee morale and job satisfaction Flexible schedules particularly benefit working mothers by allowing them modify their schedule to tend to issues with their children without having to take off an entire day of work B Accommodating employee health problems When a person has a chronic illness it can be very difficult to take care or themselves working a traditional 9 00 A M 5 00 P M job Most doctors offices are not open outside of this time frame so it is nearly impossible to make an appointment for their own health or for their dependents Other people may have circadian rhythm disorders and function better between 1 00 P M 9 00 P M In this circumstance a person would be far more productive and engaged in their work by adjusting their schedule to this time frame Every person is different so what works for one person is not going to be the same for another Flex time accounts for this and allows everyone the opportunity to work at maximum efficiency Additionally for many people suffering with chronic diseases stress can play a central role in a persons wellness Flex time potential to reduce stress in employees may reduce flareups in chronic conditions benefiting both employee productivity and overall well being C Psychological and physiological impacts on health A study was conducted by Durham University to analyze health benefits related to flex time Researchers found that employees enjoying flexible work schedules seemed to also enjoy improved mental health quality of sleep and alertness as well as lowered blood pressure From this standpoint it could be argued that this seemed improvement in employee health could decrease health care costs particularly if flex time were widely implemented throughout branches of a company where large numbers of employees are receiving healthcare through their employers This is an additional buffer to the cost of employee benefits Employers A Flex time as a recruiting tool Flex time gives employers the ability to hire outside of their geographical area by allowing them to telecommute This benefits the employer in two ways by making this more talented employee available to them and by making this more talented employee available to them without having to cover the cost of relocation In addition to increased ease in hiring employees flex time increases ease in recruiting new employees by making the organization more attractive to applicants In this way flex time gives companies a competitive advantage in hiring highly skilled applicants B Increased levels of employee commitment Employees who enjoy the privileges of flex time feel that because they have been trusted to control their own schedule that they are respected by their employer which increases the likelihood that they will remain with their current job For many people flex time is a more important motivator than increased compensation or opportunities for advancement by comparison C Lengthened hours of operation and elimination of overtime pay When employees are not all present in the work place at the same time equipment like a computer or a microscope are highly unlikely to be in short supply so employers need not purchase as much equipment Each individual person does not need a computer because they will be used in shifts When employees need extra time to work on an assignment they can simply adjust their schedule to find that extra time instead of having to work and be paid for overtime hours Additionally employees being present beyond regular operating hours allows businesses to stay open and receive business otherwise unavailable to them had they closed at traditional hours Managing a Flex time workplace If not managed correctly flex time schedule organization in the workplace can become very messy Some managers may opt to implement core hours wherein all employees must be available either in person or via telecommunication during the work day in order to have meetings or answer questions Above all time keeping is the most important aspect of flextime management Operations with core hours may have equipment for employees to log hours flagging individuals who are not present for core time Some businesses may choose to make predefined flex schedules where employees choose which schedule they would work Measuring trends A good habit for managers to employ is generating reports on time flex trends among employees which can be used to benchmark initiatives and analyze how flex time is being used Managers can then adapt their flex