Flex time has become a popular scheduling choice at many organizations across the country. In a flex time arrangement, employees may choose to come in to work earlier, or later if they wish. Although the number of hours worked remains the same, employees have a limited degree of flexibility as to when those hours will be. In most flex time arrangements, the organization sets out "core hours" during which all employees must be present. These core hours are typically during midday, with employees having the choice of whether to come in an hour or two early, or later in the day.

Flex time scheduling has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety among employees. Without the need to arrive at an exact time, employees no longer feel the pressure of tardiness, and employers for the most part no longer have to worry themselves with the issue. Instead, employees are able to craft their schedules around personal needs. As a result, employees should feel considerably less stress in their daily lives. Productivity typically rises in a flex time arrangement, with employees working when they feel at their best.

Best of all, flex time may allow an organization to retain employees that would otherwise have quit because of personal time issues. With flex time, those employees can shift their schedules to take care of their personal needs without having to seek another position somewhere else. This can be a great way to maintain talent and limit turnover.

When implementing a flex time solution, organizations should approach the issue on a case by case basis. Making flex time available to everyone may be impossible because those employees need to be present for the organization to function. Establishing a fair and objective flex time application process can allow a company to transition smoothly to the new system.

Flex time does not come without tradeoffs. It can be somewhat more difficult to schedule task completion when no one is certain when employees will show up. Although the core hours usually comprise most of the day, it can make completing tasks early or late in the day problematic. This kind of problem is usually far outweighed by the potential benefits of the flex time system. Employees are typically happier in general about their position, and experience far less anxiety. The resulting boost in productivity is well worth any minor inconvenience that may be introduced.