While flexible working hours (flextime/flexitime) describe how a method of working time can operate, the notion of work/life balance is all about its effects. So with a true work/life balance, those effects can go far beyond the benefit an individual can gain from the flexibility of working time and location. For example, if an employee can now manage to find time for community work though having more agreeable working hours, then society gains. If an employee who re-enters the workforce though finding working hours that match their life commitments, then organisations and the overall economy gains.

FlexTime is seeing the growth of such knock-on effects in its user base.

• Employees are finding it easier to attend evening courses
• Home workers are making a positive contribution to the reduction in C02 emissions through travelling less
• Improving staff retention rates mean that having more experienced staff is now creating a better customer experience as customer facing staff are more knowledgeable

Working from Home

Why is it that if home working is viewed positively by many, it is still only adopted by 9% of employees? This is despite the obvious pressures on the workplace over the past 20 years. For example:

• Cost of occupying expensive workspace (up to €10,000 per person per annum in certain cases)
• Increasing staff turnover and absenteeism due to staff disenchantment ranging from traffic gridlock to childminding challenges or overcrowded workplaces
• Competition from increasingly aggressive low cost and flexible economies
• Impact on the environment

At FlexTime we believe there is a fundamental reason contributing to this low adoption rate. It’s true that employers like to trust staff. However, in practice, if employees are to be successful home or mobile workers, managers need concrete knowledge about what’s happening to remote employees’ working time.

VisionTime provides that certainty as it uses web and real time technology to record the times, scheduling and mobility of staff. Employees can key in and out via PCs, PDAs, mobile phones and a variety of time devices.

VisionTime provides vital real time information at PCs so that:

• Managers know as soon as the home worker has started work or if out on business and where
• The home or mobile worker has access to where colleagues are and if they will be at work today or future days
• Staff can request time off or change schedule at their PC which is then approved by the supervisor

This results in senior managers having a staffing overview never before available.