Comments on: Flex Time http://www.creativeclass.com/_v3/creative_class/2009/02/02/flextime/ The source on how we live, work and play Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:10:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jana http://www.creativeclass.com/_v3/creative_class/2009/02/02/flextime/comment-page-1/#comment-9677 Jana Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:26:05 +0000 http://www.creativeclass.com/_v3/creative_class/?p=8359#comment-9677 I've spent time over the past while discussing offices and work hours with friends. We get paid, not necessarily for the work we produce (quality, how efficiently, etc.), but rather for the amount of time we spend in the office. We are paid to be there for 35-40 hours, and likely expected to be there for more if we want a hope of being promoted. I rail against this waste of my time to spend on my own, creative pursuits. There is a mindset in many modern businesses that the hours you spend in the office equate to the amount of work you product. I say it has the opposite effect. As someone who generally works effectively, I often finish my work early. This leaves me with extra time. I could ask for more work but I won't get paid any more money than the person next to be who completes an average workload. And by doing more work, I make the other people around me look worse therefore creating animosity within the office. Instead, I do an average amount of work (although I do it well) and waste the rest of my work week doing things that aren't productive for the company and definitely aren't productive for me. I would take the concept of flex time and its benefits to the worker one step further. I believe that companies will see even greater benefits if they design their incentives so that employees have a reason to fit as much good quality work into a week as possible. I believe that companies need to break the connection between the amount of time an employee spends in the office and the value they add to the company. I’ve spent time over the past while discussing offices and work hours with friends. We get paid, not necessarily for the work we produce (quality, how efficiently, etc.), but rather for the amount of time we spend in the office. We are paid to be there for 35-40 hours, and likely expected to be there for more if we want a hope of being promoted. I rail against this waste of my time to spend on my own, creative pursuits.

There is a mindset in many modern businesses that the hours you spend in the office equate to the amount of work you product. I say it has the opposite effect. As someone who generally works effectively, I often finish my work early. This leaves me with extra time. I could ask for more work but I won’t get paid any more money than the person next to be who completes an average workload. And by doing more work, I make the other people around me look worse therefore creating animosity within the office. Instead, I do an average amount of work (although I do it well) and waste the rest of my work week doing things that aren’t productive for the company and definitely aren’t productive for me.

I would take the concept of flex time and its benefits to the worker one step further. I believe that companies will see even greater benefits if they design their incentives so that employees have a reason to fit as much good quality work into a week as possible. I believe that companies need to break the connection between the amount of time an employee spends in the office and the value they add to the company.

]]> By: Robert http://www.creativeclass.com/_v3/creative_class/2009/02/02/flextime/comment-page-1/#comment-9637 Robert Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:20:38 +0000 http://www.creativeclass.com/_v3/creative_class/?p=8359#comment-9637 Ample evidence of how suppliant workers are hoodwinked into accepting draconian conditions in return for their labour. What a bunch of halfwits those people who don't have flexible working are: your boss takes your labour and uses it to make more money for himself. The more you work, the less favourable the ratio. I just find it amusing that so called intelligent people try to pretend that "it's ok to be greedy" or "it's good for the economy to work ourselves to an early death" or "who needs friends when I'm an office monkey!". Ample evidence of how suppliant workers are hoodwinked into accepting draconian conditions in return for their labour. What a bunch of halfwits those people who don’t have flexible working are: your boss takes your labour and uses it to make more money for himself. The more you work, the less favourable the ratio. I just find it amusing that so called intelligent people try to pretend that “it’s ok to be greedy” or “it’s good for the economy to work ourselves to an early death” or “who needs friends when I’m an office monkey!”.

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