Every morning, you know how it goes- the alarm goes off, the kids wake up, the dogs need to be let out, the cat wants to be fed, the kids need breakfast, the garbage needs to go out, and you still have to shower, but you haven’t even had your coffee yet.   On top of all that, now you’re going to be late for work.   By the time you finally get to work (late), you are exhausted from the morning routine and can’t concentrate on doing your job.

Mornings are not easy for anyone, especially for those with children and other responsibilities.  Life has a way of getting in the way of responsibilities and there’s not much we can do to stop it.  Our current economy requires most of us to work (if we can) full time or more, but we can’t neglect our other “jobs” either.   There’s a balance game we must all learn to play- a teeter-totter of family and work.  Sometimes one wins out over another, but the one that loses often suffers dire consequences.  It’s a catch twenty two for working families- do I take care of my child or do I get to work on time?  Sadly, it comes down to taking care of a child versus paying the mortgage or buying groceries- a choice we shouldn’t be forced to make.

Employers are coming into the 21^st century and realizing it’s difficult (near impossible) to balance everything going on in our lives and still be a good employee, parent, pet owner, etc.   They have figured out that making things easier and helping employees balance their responsibilities makes them better performers at work.  Some of these businesses are offering their employees the opportunity to use flex time.   Flextime can be defined in a few different ways- usually by the employer offering it.  It can mean working from home, staggering hours, working 4 ten hour days, etc.

What this does for employee performance is immense.  This relieves stress, reduces costs spent on commutes, allows parents to spend more time with their children, and gives employees a newfound respect for their employers.  When employees are offered these opportunities, they feel valued as a team member- trusted.  This makes employees want to give more effort back to their employers.

The benefits of flextime for employees are obvious- but did you realize the benefits to the employer are just as good- and maybe even better?  Here are 8 reasons to offer flextime to your employees-

1. It’s FREE!  It’s a benefit you can offer to your employees that costs you NOTHING.  How many benefits offered to employees cost the employer nothing?  We can’t think of too many.
2. Less sick days taken = more work days produced.  Sick days are virtually eliminated with flextime.
3. Increased morale- a happy employee is a hard working employee.
4. No more tardiness- they set their own schedules and allow time to get everything they need to get done before work.
5. Productivity increase- your employees are eliminating commutes, and giving themselves more time and less stress resulting in better job performance.
6. Lower turnover.  When you are flexible, you are desirable as an employer.
7. With new advances in technology such as GoogleWave, GoogleDocs, Twitter, Webinars and more, it’s virtually (pun intended) the same thing as being in the office.  And- many of these tools are free!
8. Improved customer service.  Your customers/clients will be working with employees who are less stressed and more focused- on the CUSTOMER.

Providing for your employees, and showing them that you are working together, not against each other is a simple, yet underused practice.  Offering some of these benefits to your employees will help increase human performance and ultimately, help your business grow.

For more information on the Roosevelt University Human Performance Improvement Graduate Degree and certificates visit our website at http://www.roosevelt.edu/trdv