Employer Guide: What Is a Flexible Schedule?

Flexible work schedules have become a high priority for many workers, and they can help support productivity and employee well-being on the job.

For employers, a flexible schedule can be an important part of recruitment, employee engagement, and an effective retention strategy. However, flexible work isn't for everyone. Some employees prefer to interact with colleagues in person and may perform better in a traditional environment.

Let's examine the importance of flexibility in the workplace, consider its advantages and disadvantages for both employees and employers, and consider additional factors that can help you develop a successful policy.

What Is a Flexible Work Schedule?

A flexible work schedule is any arrangement that allows employees to deviate from traditional working hours, location, or both. It offers alternatives to the standard 9-to-5, in-office model, enabling greater autonomy and work-life balance.

Flexibility can vary across organizations and roles, but most arrangements fall into two main categories:

• Time-Based Flexibility: Customizing when work is done.
• Location-Based Flexibility: Customizing where work is done.

Megan Burdett, Talent Enablement Partner at Paychex, explains, “Big differentiating factors here are time and location — time (when work is done) and location (where work is done). Flexibility is happening when either or both of these factors are at play.”

Types of Flexible Schedules

Flexible scheduling doesn't necessarily mean fewer hours or part-time work. In most cases, employees still work full-time, but they have some freedom to adjust their schedule based on their lifestyle or preferences. Company culture, the nature of the job, and organizational goals will all influence how an employer implements flexible scheduling.

Let's look at some common flexible work schedule arrangements.

Working From Home/Remote Roles

Not all jobs require an in-person presence for productivity. Many workers, such as those working in IT or creative roles, find that working outside of a standard office environment allows them to focus better. In such cases, a remote role — whether fully remote, hybrid, or remote-first — may be a better fit than navigating the interruptions that happen in an office environment. Part-time employment opportunities may also be a good fit for remote work. Regardless of the arrangement, communication expectations are critical when implementing this type of flexibility.

Work-from-home arrangements can vary depending on the organization's needs and the type of job. Some positions may be designed as 100% work-from-home opportunities. Others function best with hybrid scheduling, where employees work some days in the office each week. Either way, employers should prioritize company culture and connection to help employees who work from home feel part of the team.

Part-Time Employment

Many workers choose part-time employment to care for children or fulfill other responsibilities. Flexible work opportunities can provide even more support in these cases.

Some part-time roles easily lend themselves to schedule flexibility, allowing employees to choose when they complete their required hours. While that's not always possible for every role, it can be an attractive benefit for employees who need more adaptable schedules.

Burdett points out some challenges with this approach, noting that “part-time typically is under 32 hours per week for the purpose of health insurance.” She also shares that “part-time employees may be navigating other jobs as well so they may not have as much flexibility on the employer side for last minute callouts.”

Compressed Workweeks

A compressed workweek means employees complete the same number of hours in fewer days. Essentially, the employee works a flex schedule with longer shifts in exchange for more days off. One example is the four-day work week, where work is completed in four 10-hour days. This is becoming more common for professional roles. However, it is important to be mindful of overtime laws when considering this option.

Some healthcare businesses (like hospitals) also use compressed workweeks in the form of rotating schedules or alternating shifts.

Flex Time or Flexible Hours

With flex time, employees have flexibility in the timing of their work as long as they complete their expected number of hours. If an employee stays late or works an extra shift, for example, they take an equivalent number of hours off later in the week.

Some flex time policies may include core hours — a set timeframe where work is mandatory, such as between 9:00 AM and 3:00PM. Employees could start earlier or finish later but would be required to work during those hours.

A flexible hours arrangement means that employees may choose their workday's starting and ending times. It can include flex time, asynchronous work, and compressed workweeks. It may also mean an employee can start later or end earlier if they complete their responsibilities. Many employers offer flexible hours in the summer when business may be slower depending on the industry.

Some employers have begun experimenting with other types of permitted "flexible" leave as well, including unlimited PTO, extended parental leave, and sabbaticals.

Asynchronous Work

Asynchronous work allows employees to choose their own schedules, including start and end times, breaks, and which days they work. This is often a good solution for companies with employees in different geographic locations who need to schedule meetings across time zones. Employers exploring this option should be mindful of overtime and break timing requirements.

While asynchronous work schedules may seem challenging to implement, they can improve employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention. This model may be best suited for global/distributed teams and requires strong documentation and trust.

Ideal Candidates for Flexible Scheduling

Flexible work schedules can be especially helpful for employees who find the hours of a regular 9-5 job challenging. Individuals with personal health challenges, parents with young children, and people who work in different time zones could all be ideal candidates for flexible schedules.

Flexible scheduling may also be a good solution for employees with long commutes, or those who can be more productive in a quieter work environment.

“Flexible scheduling sounds good in theory but can be a stumbling block for employers. Employees hired into flexible scheduling positions should have strong self-discipline, time management, and communication skills,” says Burdett. “Not every role is built for flexible scheduling. Shift based work may be great for this, but knowledge-based work, not so much. When the one person with the required knowledge to solve a problem is offline, it can cause bottlenecks.”

Which Industries Use Flexible Scheduling?

Since the pandemic, remote work has surged across the workforce. In 2025, just over 20% of the total workforce works remotely, as compared with less than 6% in 2019.

Industries like IT, professional services, finance, marketing, and creative services are ideal for flexible scheduling. In many of these roles, work can be completed at any time without affecting productivity or other operations.

However, flexible scheduling isn't possible in every industry. Jobs in areas like construction, retail, law enforcement, healthcare, transportation, and education typically have mandatory schedules and shift requirements. While flexibility may be more difficult in these industries, Burdett clarifies that “customer-facing industries (retail or healthcare) use limited flexibility like shift swapping or shift bidding.”

Advantages of Flexible Schedules

As with any workplace policy — including a standard 9-5 work week — flexible scheduling has both pros and cons.

Let's start by looking at some of the potential benefits of flexible work schedules.

For Employees

Flexible work and remote work opportunities are important considerations for many candidates when choosing a job. As technology has advanced, flexible schedules have become more accessible, and they give employees more freedom to design a schedule around their unique needs.

Benefits for employees can include:

• Better work-life balance
• Enhanced productivity
• Reduced stress
• Greater job satisfaction/autonomy

When employees have the flexibility to take time off or change their schedules, the likelihood of job-related stress decreases and job satisfaction increases. Nearly 3 in 4 workers (71%) say that working from home increases their work-life balance, and almost half (46%) say they would be unlikely to stay at their job if they could not work from home.

For Employers

Employees aren't the only ones who benefit from flexible work schedules. Offering a flexible schedule gives employers access to skilled candidates in other locations and those who need to work from home for personal or family reasons.

Employers could also see improved outcomes when they implement flexibility in the workplace, including:

• Talent retention and attraction
• Enhanced productivity
• Reduced overhead costs
• Access to a larger talent pool

Disadvantages of Flexible Schedules

Flexible schedules can work well in many scenarios, but they may not be ideal for every worker or every employer. Be aware of these potential disadvantages as you evaluate your options.

For Employees

Disadvantages for employees can include the following:

• Risk of overwork or poor boundaries
• Isolation from teams
• Career visibility concerns

Not all employees enjoy working from home. They may feel increased pressure to be productive or feel like they are always on the clock. Blurring work-life boundaries can quickly lead to employee burnout if safeguards aren't put in place to separate work and personal time.

Schedule flexibility can also create challenges for teams. When you aren't sure when a team member will be in the office or on the clock, it can be harder to schedule meetings and get feedback.

For Employers

Employers face their own set of challenges:

• Harder team coordination
• More complex scheduling or performance management
• Potential legal/HR complexity

Some employees work better away from the office, but others don't. When employees are struggling, they can't do their best work, and some may not be as productive without the accountability of an office environment.

Flexible schedules may also make it more difficult to schedule meetings, evaluate progress, and communicate effectively. Managers must be careful that employees working flexible schedules aren’t "out of sight, out of mind." It takes extra effort to maintain communication, provide feedback, and offer recognition when schedules vary.

How To Implement Flex Scheduling

Flexible scheduling is attractive for many organizations, but it's not the right choice in every scenario. If you are considering flex work for your employees, here are some tips to make it successful:

1. Define goals and expectations. Set specific goals and expectations for remote workers. Communicate how those goals align with larger business objectives and help them understand how they connect with other parts of the business.
2. Set clear flexible work policies. Establish clear guidelines around in-person office time and remote work. For example, if you need employees to be in the office no later than 10:00 or remote employees to meet with managers weekly, put those expectations in writing. Document flexible work policies in your employee handbook so they can be easily accessed.
3. Establish availability requirements. If you need employees to be available at certain times during the workday, communicate those expectations clearly. Core hours ensure that teams can access each other during the workday and that employees receive and respond to time-sensitive communications.
4. Ensure fairness in scheduling. Consider polices to ensure fairness and equity when scheduling remote work hours. Every employee should have equal access to scheduling tools and resources, and managers should communicate transparently about scheduling criteria. Ask for feedback to ensure that the policies work effectively for all employees.
5. Leverage the right tools and technology. Effective tools and technology can simplify interactions between employees who work different schedules in different locations. Here are a few must-have tools to put in place:
   • A project management platform to track task progress
   • A communication platform to keep teams connected
   • A video conferencing tool for meetings with remote workers
   • Online time and attendance software that can be accessed remotely
   • A time tracker for hourly employees
   • Cloud storage for shared documents and files
6. Train managers and employees. Without intentional effort from managers, employees who work from home may feel isolated from their teams. Implement manager and employee training programs to improve communication and maintain a solid company culture, even with flexible scheduling.
7. Implement in phases. Start by offering a pilot program to a few employees and asking for their feedback. Use their comments to address challenges and work out the kinks before implementing flexible scheduling in phases across the organization.

Measuring the Success of Flexible Scheduling

Measure the success of your flexible work schedule by tracking positive changes in your workforce and business outcomes. Monitor KPIs like productivity, customer satisfaction, employee retention, and turnover rates to see how the new policies affect them.

Employee engagement surveys can also provide valuable feedback about employee perceptions of flexible schedules. Ask questions about issues that matter to your organization, such as culture, manager relationships, communication, recognition, empowerment, and peer connection. Similarly, performance benchmarks can be used as reference points to evaluate how well flexible scheduling is working over time.

Legal and Compliance Considerations

Employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act who implement flexible work schedules should be mindful of its requirements for employee wages, overtime, and recordkeeping.

Evaluate policies to ensure they comply with your state's wage and hour laws, FMLA, and any other legal requirements.

Pay particular attention to:

• Methods for tracking all hours worked
• Clearly defined policies on breaks and start/stop times
• Compliance with local, state, and federal wage and hour requirements
• Accurate employee classifications (exempt or nonexempt)
• Paid and unpaid leave expectations
• Workers' compensation considerations
• Accessibility and ADA accommodations
• State, local, federal, and international labor laws

Financial Implications of Flexible Scheduling

Embracing a flexible work schedule may allow your company to control certain costs, such as leased office space, equipment, and utilities. However, you will still need to provide the technology your employees need to work from home. Depending on the job, laptops, phones, headsets, and reliable internet access may be included.

Conduct a cost/benefit analysis to figure out whether flexible scheduling is a good investment for your organization. List all applicable costs and benefits, which may extend beyond dollars paid for a commodity or service. Benefits may include increased employee productivity, reduced recruiting costs as retention rates rise, and improved well-being of employees.

Future Trends in Flexible Scheduling

Flexible work opportunities have dramatically increased over the past five years, and they are here to stay. Younger workers already have increased expectations for flexible work opportunities, and the benefits for employee health and well-being are undeniable. In the future, evolving technology will make flexible work increasingly valuable for employers by boosting productivity, collaboration, and engagement.

Burdett shares several trends that could be on the horizon: rise of the 4-day workweek trials, AI tools enabling more asynchronous work, post-pandemic expectations for employee-first flexibility, and flexibility as a benefit rather than entitlement.

As you determine whether flexible work schedules suit your team, consider the advantages and disadvantages, the financial considerations, and the potential for added value. With a strategic vision and practical policies, you can use flexible work to attract new talent, increase engagement, and retain your best employees.