Is it advantageous for employees to choose their own schedules?
By neelianoscet
@neelianoscet (9615)
Philippines
August 15, 2009 8:01am CST
I know some companies allow their employees to choose their working schedules not
only in the field of health care where their is shifting in schedules of staffs and
rotation. Such as those who work in casinos, call center, bakeshop, fast food and
even in offices. Their are working mothers who choose their schedules in which they
could still care of their younger children or a mother who have babies. Some
companies have a room intended as day care center like a mom could visit her child
during during working break like do the baby feeding or bottle feeding. While other
company allow their employees to adjust their schedules when some employees are
taking part time courses.
[b]In your own places, is their a companies you know who let their employees choose
their working schedules or you just accept what you employers assign to you? What
are the benefits for you?[/b]
1 person likes this
14 responses
@dbabcook (388)
• United States
15 Aug 09
I would have to say it depends on the organization in which you work. If you work for a company that is open 7 days a week then I definately say it's not a good idea to allow employees to choose their schedules as I know that most people do not like working on weekends. But as I said it depends on the company.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
yeah, the policy should be the one to look up every time you apply for work. In cases you becomes pregnant, or for single mother who have no other companion to look upon their children. When employers grant employees to changer their working schedules. It is an exciting privileges both to the employees where she could make a plan to work only when needed or take an overtime to fill in the times where she take a leave or absences.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
I learn from the television documentary and saw in movies that some company allow mommies to bring their baby to their work. But they are going to be put in a children room where their are nannies to take care of their young children when they have no companion in the house who will look upon the babies care. Then, after break time the working mother could visit their children and so after the work hours she could fetch her children and go home. Thus, it is a good opportunities where mother is secure about their child welfare and would never ever allow their children to be left alone in the house.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
The policy of bringing younger children or even babies is allow, as long as their is a room intended for them without having to run inside the offices and ruin the offices set up. Then, the mom will only get their younger children after break time and at the end of working hours they will fetch their children.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
16 Aug 09
I think it would be nice in a way to be able to choose your own work schedule. Alot of times, people work during business hours so they never have the time to deal with business of their won because they are closed when they are off from work. It is also nice if you have children at home too. You could work when the other spouse is home with the child.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
22 Aug 09
It is an arrange flexible schedules and exchanging responsibilities with your spouse if both partner are working. They could exchange schedules of time, where the other partner will be the one to take care of the household and children. And, when it is now the turn of the other partner, could rest and exchange taking care of children. that is really a great help and a lot of savings with no need to hire a nannies to care for young children..
@versio9 (329)
• Philippines
16 Aug 09
generally, it is not advantageous. in fact, employees should know that they are working for other people and that their time, even if inconvenient for them, is really needed to service the people he affects. that's the real world. you can only have your own time when you've reached that point of succeeding in life can you work on your own time. problem is... success will only make you value work and work requires discipline. success is discipline and discipline means doing the things you don't want to do.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
22 Aug 09
Employees are important parts of the company growth bu sometimes company should gives consideration to employees to choose their flexible hours and the other hours is to be fill in by other employees who like the working schedules as imposed by the company most company have restrictions when it comes to employees choosing their own time as the dominant decision lies on the head of the company. This is not a means to tolerate employees to abuse this opportunities in the process of giving this chance, employees will take it as a means to be loyal to company and they could even give their 100% effort in terms of productivity, since they have bee feeling satisfy with the jobs. The company business so far will not be affected as i says their other employees who are willing to swap with other employees or if the employees do not like rotation and choose the permanent day or night shift schedules. it is up to the agreement as decides by the higher management and if they allow it..then it is really an advantage in the part of the employees. Some companies have policy like that and already practicing that type of policy employees have the option to choose their working schedules..
@klwheretogo (230)
• Malaysia
16 Aug 09
in IT fields, it is quite common that employees choose their working hour or we called it as flexible hour, as long as you work 8 hours a day. i think allow employees to choose their working hour is a right step, because if employees are happy then indirectly work performance will increase as well.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
22 Aug 09
Yeah, that is true if employees are given an option to choose their time or working schedules. They could improve their share and resort in increase productivity because they have already given enough time to unwind after alternate working days. This really benefits all employees regardless of ages, status and preferences..
@izardy (60)
• Malaysia
16 Aug 09
for me it will be a very advantageous, especially to working parents ,i'd been in the situation where i'm outstation, and my babysitter have something else to do, my wife have some important meeting she have to attend. so it was a really bad situation, luckily i have someone from my office who can help me out. if the boss let the employees choose their owned scheduled, i believe things like this can be prevented
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
22 Aug 09
It is really vital to employers to maintain a good relationship with his employees and co-workers as some really have busy life that they also want to experience being with their daughter and sons like being together every weekdays. Having alternatives working schedules children will be more closer to parents as some children becomes bitter when they only see with their parents every weekend and sometimes for being busy in the work. They only see every morning and after the work hours when they see sometimes night time. Never knowing what happen to their children, about their activities or achievements. Also, when attending parents teacher meeting the only present are the nannies who represent absent parents.It is really nice to have alternative working schedules to make time for family not only always to career. It should be balance between career and family.
@robert19ph (4577)
• Philippines
15 Aug 09
hello neelianoscet,
Indeed it is advantageous for employees if they can choose their ownscedule. This way, they don't need to take a leave incase they have something important that they need to do. Besides, they can take care of their children first. Sometimes they can teach their children in some of their assignments/homeworks/projects and the likes.
Sometimes, we can choose our own schedule in the company we're working but in the case to case basis. We are only allowed if our supposed shift is covered or has manpower so incase there is/are problems somebody can solve it. So what we do is to ask to someone who likes to swap their shift, this way we can change our schedule.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
Given this freedom to choose their own working schedules is a great helps for parents who exchanges each other responsibilities to take care of their children. this privileges should not be abused or else the opportunity will be lost..and we ended up regretting for the lack of professionalism conduct.
1 person likes this
@anetteh (3590)
• Sweden
15 Aug 09
Hi there, neelianoscet. I work for elderly and my emplyeer is the local gouvernment. Yes, I can choose my own scheduel. We can if we want to, however, that means you have to give or take. And the bad effect of that is there is always same people who have to give more than take. I think it is OK if the emplyeer work out a sceduel for the workers, but let the workers have some to say. We work day´s, evenings, holidays and weekends...so the scheduel needs to be fairly done.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
yeah, the distribution of fair working privileges should also depend to the company allowable workers who will be given the privileges to choose their working schedules. in your cases shifting schedules is a part of your profession. but, you could choose whether you like to work by day,night shift.or even the graveyard shift. It is not advisory that the privileges is a rigid selective process which would only benefit the few. Although, this privileges are given and it should not be abuse by the employees .
@jezzmay (1845)
• United States
15 Aug 09
I know where I worked they chose the hours.
I like the company, that will work with
parents. I think the first years of a childs
life is very important and the mother needs
to be with them as much as possible. The
father should be too.
Have a blessed day.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
That is a mixed parenthood responsibilities sharing as when the wife have work, the husband is the one to take care of the children and vice versa. Especially when they are young toddlers who are in need of constant supervision..It is a great privileges if employers allow their employees to adjust their working schedules so that they could take care of their children personal growth..
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
15 Aug 09
Well, there are certainly great advantages when you can choose your own schedules considering that you can certainly do more of what you do when you have this kind of set up. There are times that we need to do some things and cannot do it considering that we are on duty or at work. Given the chance to work at the schedule of our own choosing will surely give us more freedom to do more things.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
yeah, that is the best gifts which an employer or companies could give freedom to their employees to choose the day where they are going to work, take a rest from sickness, visit a doctor for consultation, attend family reunion, burials and other activities such as students to teacher meeting. Then, as a gratitude they will work hard to help the company..
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
15 Aug 09
I just started working at a pizza delivery company and they work with the students' schedules all the time. Like the manager said when he hired me: if he didn't work around people's schedules, he wouldn't have any people. In some businesses, it is not always possible to work around everyone's schedule; but it is a good idea to try to do so because otherwise, you will be dissatisfied with it and will probably leave. I think that is the biggest reason that most employers do it now. Thanks for bringing this up.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
It is very good to the business if employees are the one to choose their own working schedules such as the case of married couples who have no nanny to look upon their younger child. The couples could rotate their schedules to take care for the child when they have shifting working schedules, in that way they could both share responsibilities in the care of their child.
@tuyakiki (3016)
• India
15 Aug 09
Yes!! It is a more better way to motivate the employees regarding their works. The company where I work,doesn't provides us with this opportunity so we really yearn for it. If we would have that opportunity to plan our own schedules then it we would have been more tension free and will also be able to work with a great concentration and motivation..There are, in my views,a very less number of companies who provide this opportunity to their employees.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
Most company never allow this privileges to give their employees the freedom to choose their own schedules, but in some cases it is allow as long as it is accompanies by valid reasons. It could inspire employees to work hard to the company as a sign of gratitude for allowing them to choose the day and time of work that is comfortable to them, in which they will be given an opportunity to spend their precious with their kids, at the same working..
@psycospaz (320)
• United States
15 Aug 09
I believe, speaking as a manager, that allowing my people to choose their own schedules is advantageous for both of us. Some people really don't understand that work = $$ so when given the option they will work less allowing my employees who needs/wants to work to work. That way I am not forcing anything on anyone, and they get what they earn. I have weeded out a lot of 'bad seeds' that way. And I am very upfront about how the schedules work and if they want more hours I am happy and willing to give them more, yet they complain about not making anything then quit, when it is up to them to make the money.
Win, win, win situation for everyone involved!
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
The ability and freedom given by the company to the employees to choose their own working schedules depend solely on the case to case basis. Especially given importance is women, single mom, who have no nannies to care of their children, and feel not secure if they left their babies on the care of a strangers. This is the time where they go to attend important occasion where they could adjust their times at a given period as allowed by their employer. Given this privilege will enhance more productivity and more benefits to both parties are attain.
@yulolimum (2)
• United States
16 Aug 09
I have worked for Washington Inventory Services for over two years. The schedules that they provide are fairly flexible. In fact, if you feel like you will not be able to attend work, you can call in and cancel your shift for that day. I really find that useful since there are times when you just can't go to work. For example, some shifts pop up during the semester during classes. You cannot afford to skip class, therefore, you call in and cancel your shift. I really find this beneficial since getting fired for skipping work or failing a class for the same reason is not acceptable and never rewarding.
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
This kind of set up is allowable as long as the employees never abuse the company policy. it is pretty alright and you could still focus on your child development. The company you mention have concern for their employees is a best examples for employees to make up to the lost time when they work and have no time to build strong connection with their children. Then, they could have their own ways to share in the responsibilities of parenthood with her partner..