What are alternative work schedules?

Changing needs for both businesses and employees have made alternative work schedules increasingly popular. Alternative schedules are work arrangements that vary from the typical full-time 8 hours a day, 5 days a week , 40 hour workweek. These include schedules such working a compressed work week, flex-time and working remotely.  Working an alternative schedule can have big payoffs such as helping people acheive better work-life balance, providing longer shifts and in turn more hours of coverage at a business and reducing commute times by avoiding travel during peak periods of traffic congestion.

Compressed work week

A Compressed Workweek is acheived by working longer shifts within fewer days. One common compressed workweek schedule is working nine 9-hour days and one 8-hour day in a 2-week (80 hour) period with the 10th day off. Another is working four 10-hour days each week, with the 5th day off. These schedules can reduce peak hour traffic on days the employee is off.

Flex-Time

Flex-time is a voluntary arrangement that typically allows employees to work an 8 -hour day, but the time they arrive and depart the workplace can be outside of the normal 8-5 window. For example, an approved flex-time schedule that starts work at 7 and ends at 3:30pm would allow an employee to avoid the heaviest commute traffic between 7 and 8am and between 5 and 6pm. Flex-time also makes it easier for employees to carpool or take the bus to work.