Scheduling Software To Make Flexible Scheduling Easier

Flexible scheduling is an alternative to the traditional 9-to-5 work model that gives employees more choice about when they start and stop work. It allows them to adjust their work schedule to better accommodate their personal lives and preferences.

Flexible scheduling includes systems such as:

• Compressed workweeks
• Flex time
• Hybrid
• 9/80
• 4/10
• 2-2-3
• On-call

These novel schedules can be implemented for remote, mobile, and on-site employees alike.

Flexible scheduling offers a variety of benefits when compared to more fixed schedules, including:

• Improved employee morale
• Better attendance
• Fewer no-call/no-show absences
• Increased productivity
• Higher desirability to attract top talent

Flexible scheduling may not be right for all businesses, but it’s certainly worth investigating to see if it can improve the way your team works.

Try these tips to make flexible scheduling work better in your business.

Get your employees’ input

Flexible scheduling isn’t for everyone. Some team members like the structure of the 9-to-5 work model.

In fact, you may find that the majority of your team prefers the current work schedule so changing things might actually be detrimental.

Keep business needs in mind

Flexible scheduling can lead to situations where your business doesn’t have enough employees to cover all the work. On the opposite side of the coin, it can also lead to excess downtime.

Plan ahead before implementing a new schedule and don’t be afraid to change things once it gets going so that the entire process works for both your employees and your business.

Honor employee preferences

When putting together a flexible scheduling system, do your best to honor employee preferences as much as possible. This can help build goodwill, increase employee satisfaction, and make it easier to retain good workers.

That said, there may be times when you just can’t accommodate everyone’s wishes because the needs of your business take precedence.

If you have to go against the preferences of a specific employee, take the time to explain why they can’t work exactly when they want to so you don’t cause bad feelings among your team.

Streamline time and attendance tracking

Making a flexible scheduling system successful depends, in large part, on maintaining efficient time and attendance tracking.

Modern time and attendance software, like Sling, is now available in the cloud for all your team members to access wherever and whenever they need it.

The Sling app, for example, transforms any computer, tablet, or smartphone into a time clock so your employees can clock in or out at their convenience and track time on task when they’re at work.

Sling even lets you set up restrictions (e.g., how many minutes before and after their shift employees can clock in or out) and geofences so that your employees can’t clock in unless they’re on the premises.

Such features can help you make flexible scheduling as simple as possible for everyone involved — whether it be for in-house, mobile, or hybrid teams.

Sling is a full-featured workforce management app that can help you start and finish any flexible scheduling system, fixed scheduling system, or alternative scheduling system in minutes rather than hours.

With Sling’s powerful suite of tools, you can:

• Manage time off
• Coordinate availability
• Control hours worked
• Organize shift trade requests
• Stay on (or under) budget
• Reduce absenteeism
• Minimize late arrivals
• Allow your employees to sign up for available shifts
• Consolidate and streamline internal communication
• Control labor costs
• Simplify time tracking and payroll
• And much, much more…

Right now, you can get started with the essentials to help you organize and optimize your team, handle internal communication, and manage labor costs for free with just one click.