In alphabetical order, these describe commonly used flexible working arrangements.

» Annualised Hours
» Compressed Hours
» Flexible Benefits
» Flexi-Place Working
» Flexitime
» Homeworking
» Job Share
» Part-time
» Phased Retirement
» Remote Working
» Team Based Self-Rostering
» Term-Time Working
» Variable Time
» V-Time (Voluntary Reduced Time)

More information:
» Special leave measures

Annualised Hours
Annualised hours is a system whereby employees work a specified number of hours, and a pattern of working, over a 12 month period, as determined by the needs of the business. This type of contract enables the employer to vary the number of hours worked in a defined period (daily, weekly, quarterly, yearly) within the context of the agreed working hours for the year.

Annualised hours can be particularly beneficial for meeting peaks and troughs in business demand and can reduce overtime costs. Employees can be more focussed when the work demand is high and benefit from greater flexibility in more slack periods. Annualised hours can be linked in with term-time working.

Compressed Hours
In this case, the employee works full-time but has the option to work the allotted number of hours over a shorter period than the full working week. Working a longer number of hours over four days, instead of over five days, or working a 9-day fortnight are common arrangements.

The advantage to the employee is that it enables him or her to undertake activities during a weekday. It may be a family commitment or simply a leisure pursuit but whatever it is, it helps the employee achieve a better balance between work and life.

Employers benefit because staff morale and motivation are improved.

Flexible Benefits
The pensions and benefits package enables employees to 'buy' benefits from a specified list. This may include extra days' holiday, child or eldercare services, membership of a gym etc. Such schemes can reduce costs for employers and benefit employees who can tailor their benefits to suit their specific needs. Some schemes allow employees to forego benefits in return for extra salary.

Flexi-Place Working
Flexi-place working enables the employee to work at home, or from a remote location, for some of the time. The employee is usually on a permanent full-time or part-time contract but has a specified degree of discretion over where the work is done. It may be convenient, for example, to take work home, rather than complete it in the office. Typically, these arrangements are informal and ad hoc. If done on a more regular basis, the arrangement may be formalised as Homeworking or remote working.

Flexitime
Flexible working hours of flexitime schemes allow employees to choose, within limits, the times they start and finish work. Typically, there is a core time, say 10.00 'til 4.00, which must be worked. There is usually an accounting period, say monthly, within which the full number of hours is worked but where the employee has discretion about when those hours are worked. In some cases, excess or deficit hours can be carried over to the next accounting period.

Flexitime benefits the employer as working hours can be matched with peaks and troughs of business demand and can extend opening hours. Flexitime is popular with employees as it provides time to deal with personal matters, such as dental visits or taking children to school, within the working day. It gives employees a greater sense of responsibility and ownership of their time.

Business benefits are the reduction in absenteeism and elimination of punctuality problems. It aids the attraction and retention of staff and reduces overtime hours.

Homeworking
Homeworking is work done in the home for the employer. The employer usually supplies the employee with home-office equipment such as telephone, computer and desk and needs to ensure that the home conditions are suitable and meet Health and Safety requirements.

There are direct cost savings for employers in savings on office accommodation. Employees save commuting time and costs and have flexibility to fit their work around other domestic responsibilities. This is also a preferable option for some disabled employees.

Job Share
Job sharing is an arrangement where two or more employees share the duties and responsibilities of a single full time job. Each job sharer has broadly the same responsibilities, although their contractual terms and conditions of employment may differ.

Job-sharing is common now across a range of occupations, including professions such as GPs, accountants and managers. This is an option that women may prefer as a way of returning to work after maternity leave. The employer benefits as it retains valuable skills within the organisation, encourages retention and often results in greater productivity.

Part-time
Part-time work has common practice in organisations for many years but when applied in the context of Work-Life Balance it can broaden the options for employees and aid retention and return to work after maternity.

The UK Government defines part-time work, as less than 30 hours a week. The EU defines it simply as 'less than the normal working week of comparable jobs'. Typically, organisations employ part-time workers to achieve flexibility of cover for, say, peak workloads or when the work needs to be done only at particular times. Increasingly, employers are offering opportunities to women to return to work, on a part-time basis, after maternity leave. This retains skilled employees and saves on investment in training. This is particularly successful in organisations that employ a high proportion of women. For example, banks such as HSBC and LloydsTSB find that this, together with flexi-time has almost doubled their return rate after maternity leave. It is also considered best practice to allow women to return to work part-time after maternity leave and not to offer these terms may leave the employer liable to unlawful dismissal under the Sex Discrimination Act.

It is also becoming increasingly common to allow employees to work part-time for a period leading up to retirement. This is beneficial for the individuals but also facilitates a gradual transfer of responsibilities within the organisation.

Phased Retirement
Phased retirement is a policy that allows the employee to adopt part-time, flexi-time or flexi-place working for a specified period leading up to retirement. It helps the employee make the adjustment between full-time work and retirement. In many cases, the retiree can act as a mentor to more junior members of staff. Employers benefit as it results in a smoother transition of responsibilities and a better dissemination of knowledge and experience.

Remote Working
Employees work other than from the organisation's main office. This may be from home, from a remote or serviced office or it may be peripatetic. Sales teams and computer staff often work in this way.

The benefit to employees is a reduction of the cost and time involved in commuting and greater control over where and when they work. Employers benefit from savings in accommodation costs. The problems of remote working are the management of remote teams and the sense of isolation that may be felt by employees.

Team Based Self-Rostering
Team-based self-rostering involves a basic shift in the way people think about work. Conventional rostering represents a job as something that is done between the same fixed times each day, with staffing patterns decided by the manager. Self-rostering means agreeing the staffing levels and skill mix required at any time in the day, then giving staff the ability to schedule their working day collectively to meet these requirements.

The aim is that people have more flexibility to plan their work around other commitments and responsibilities, whilst still fulfilling the needs of the business. The effect is that even those who do not take up this flexibility will feel differently about their role because of the greater control they have been given. Team-based self-rostering can spark fundamental changes in the way that teams co-operate together and reflect on their work.

Term-Time Working
Term-time working allows employees to remain on a permanent full-time or part-time contract but to take unpaid leave during some or all of the school holidays. This obviously benefits employees who are parents and could not otherwise work. It benefits employers as it encourages staff retention and keeps valuable skills within the organisation. Employers with seasonally based production or services may find this type of flexibility suits their business demands.

Variable Time
Variable time is similar to flexi-time but with no core time and no specified number of hours to be worked over an accounting period. The hours worked are usually in response to the demands of the business so variable time is of particular benefit to the employer while offering a degree of flexibility to the employee.

V-Time (Voluntary Reduced Time)
V-time schemes allow people to trade income for time off. Staff are given the option of reducing their full-time working hours by up to, typically, 50% for a specified period of, say, one year. In some cases, the period may extend for up to five years. The employee has the guarantee to return to full-time working at the end of the period.