A flexible schedule involves the establishment of a special working schedule for a particular employee. It is compiled at the request of the employee and helps to take into account his individual needs. In Europe, staggered work hours have become widespread in recent years. In Russia, it is also enshrined at the legislative level in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

What is flexible working hours

This is such a schedule of work and rest, which involves moving days off and / or changing the length of the working day according to the needs of the employee and the enterprise. A flexible schedule is also called a rolling schedule. This schedule allows the employee to choose a convenient time for him to perform work duties.

When working in flexible working hours, the beginning, end or total length of the working day (shift) is determined by agreement of the parties.

The employer ensures that the employee works out the total number of working hours during the relevant accounting periods (working day, week, month, and others).

Article 102 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Work in flexible working hours

Mandatory conditions to comply with:

1. The employee must perform his duties in full.
2. The number of hours worked for the accounting period must comply with the established standard. For example, the period is one day. Duration - 8 hours. The worker may arrive later than the others, but he will finish, respectively, later. Option: working day from 11 am to 8 pm, snack time - 1 hour (minimum 30 minutes by law).
3. The lunch break is excluded from the working time.
4. An employee on a flexible schedule has the right to days off and vacation in accordance with the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, like other employees.

The rolling schedule is used in companies where the result of work is valued, and the presence of all employees at the same time is not necessary. These are creative activities. For example, advertising agencies, IT-sphere. A flexible schedule can be assigned to some positions, individual employees: artists, musicians, designers, writers. If you need teamwork, the participation of all employees in a well-coordinated process, then a rolling schedule will not work.

A flexible schedule gives new opportunities to employees.

• Combine work and childcare/study.
• Get to work at a convenient time, and not lose it in traffic jams.
• Work according to your biorhythms. For example, getting up later than usual, but working productively until late at night.
• Feeling of freedom in action.

An employee cannot work according to a free schedule if he does not have the necessary skills and needs the advice of a mentor. Also, a flexible schedule is not suitable for employees with weak self-discipline.

Flexible working hours allow each employee to work at their own pace

Benefits of flexible working hours for employers

• Employees use their potential to the fullest, work for the result, and do not sit out the allotted time. In such conditions, often employees overfulfill the plan to increase earnings, or cope faster.
• Labor discipline is observed. Employees are not fined for being late or leaving home early. Hours worked are recorded by an automatic system and paid according to the result.
• The influx of specialists into the company is increasing. A flexible schedule takes into account individual wishes, which stimulates conscientious work and increases productivity.
• In most cases, staff costs are reduced by switching to a flexible schedule.

The employer should take into account all the nuances before establishing a flexible working regime. Sometimes this routine brings more problems than benefits:

• For the implementation of large projects, meetings are held where all employees must be present. You need to be able to match the working hours of all specialists, and this is not easy.
• To control the number of hours worked by each of the employees, an automated accounting system is needed, filling out a standard time sheet is not very convenient. The organization of control will require additional funds.
• Management should consider how the quality and timeliness of tasks will be monitored.

Do not confuse a flexible schedule with a shift schedule. The parameters of the working day are determined individually if the employee is transferred to a flexible schedule. Shift work, on the other hand, implies a clear, mandatory for all distribution of working time for 2-4 shifts. Working hours are set for each shift and must be observed by all workers. A shift schedule is introduced at enterprises if it is impossible to stop production due to the characteristics of the equipment or the technological process, in order to save resources, increase the volume of production / services provided.

How to transfer an employee to a flexible schedule according to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation

If an employee is hired, the main details of the work schedule are fixed in the employment agreement. In the section "Conditions and nature of work" describe the schedule in detail.

How to draw up an employment contract or an additional agreement

Important language to include in a staggered worker's contract:

• Set daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly accounting period.
• A "flexible working time" is assigned with a total number of N working hours for the accounting period.
• N working days per week and weekends are set.

You can add clarifications, additional conditions to the agreement.

The contract indicates the parties to the agreement, the subject of the contract, the parameters of working hours and rest time, the signatures of the parties

If an employee is already working at the enterprise and wants to switch to a sliding work schedule, then he writes an application addressed to the head.

The employee writes a request for a change in the working regime in the name of the head

If the application is approved, then an additional agreement is concluded to the employment contract. The document indicates the date and number of the main contract, the details of the additional contract, the parties to the agreement, describes the new mode of operation, and the signatures of the parties.

The agreement is signed when the employee is transferred to a staggered schedule

Sample order for the transition to a sliding schedule

On the basis of an additional contract, the head issues an order. The document indicates specific innovations in the mode of operation.

• Name of company.
• Date and number.
• Full name and position of the worker.
• Hourly schedule and other flexible work schedule options.
• Basis for the order.
• Signatures of the head, accountant, employee.

The order describes the employee's sliding work mode

Summarized accounting of working hours

The schedule is compiled by a personnel officer or manager, taking into account the wishes of the employee. Set the following parameters:

1. The period of time during which an employee is required to be at the workplace. For example, from 11.00 to 15.00.
2. Variable time when the employee determines the beginning and end of the working day at his own discretion. For example, the beginning of the day at 9.00. until 11.00. The employee must be at work before 11 am. Missed hours must be worked in the established accounting period.
3. Rest/lunch time. According to Art. 8 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, an employee has the right to a snack for 30-60 minutes.

To account for hours worked, the T-13 form (time sheet) is used. This document is filled out by the personnel officer or head of the department. If an employee is transferred to a flexible schedule, then a summarized record of his working hours is kept.

The unified form of the T-13 document allows you to take into account the working hours of all employees

How to keep track of shift schedules:

1. The employee must work the specified number of hours for the accounting period. If there was processing this week, then it can be compensated for by the weekend next week.
2. It is recommended to set the longest accounting period so as not to infringe / take away working hours from workers and not create a large number of overtime. Accounting time can be assigned from a month to a year.
3. Employee overtime is paid at an increased rate in accordance with the Labor Code.
4. For some types of work there are restrictions on the accounting period. For example, 1 month for drivers.

In order not to violate the requirements of the legislation on compliance with the norm of working time for the accounting period, on the duration of inter-shift and weekly uninterrupted rest, and also so that the number of working hours provided for by the schedule does not lead to a decrease in the employee’s earnings due to underperformance, it is better to establish as much as possible long accounting period.

SHKLOVETS Ivan Ivanovich, Rostrud

To understand how many employees are required per workplace, consider the following rules:

• For each category, the norm of working hours for the accounting period is set (24, 35, 36 or 40 hours per week). These rates are displayed in the production calendar. You cannot exceed the limit.
• Accounting for the time of newly hired workers begins from the current date, i.e., the calculation is carried out for part of the accounting period.
• Public holidays are already taken into account in the production calendar. You do not need to reduce the norm of hours if the holiday falls on the employee's working day.
• If the annual leave falls within the accounting period, then the hourly rate should be reduced by its duration.

The number of working days for the current period, the length of the working day, the norms of the production calendar are taken into account

When distributing days off, it is important to take into account that each employee has the right to rest 42 hours continuously on a weekly basis. Employees are notified of the schedule in advance. The familiarization period is fixed in the local regulatory act of the enterprise.

The procedure for remuneration with a sliding schedule

Payment with a sliding schedule is made according to the following indicators:

1. Daily/hourly rate. The number of hours actually worked during the accounting period is taken into account. In this case, it will differ from month to month.
2. Established monthly salary. Payment is fixed.

The procedure for calculating salaries, bonuses, and other incentives is enshrined in the position of the enterprise on remuneration. The number of overtime hours is calculated at the end of each accounting period. Payment is calculated in the following way:

• The first 2 hours of processing are paid at a rate of at least 150% of the rate.
• Subsequent hours are charged at least twice the cost (Article 152 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, clause 5.5 of the Recommendations).

At the request of the employee, processing is compensated by additional days off. At the same time, the duration of rest does not exceed the duration of processing. If an employee working part-time, went to work on a holiday or weekend, then he is entitled to compensation of his choice:

• Additional day off. Then the day of rest is not payable, and the time worked on a holiday/day off is billed at a single rate.
• Payment for hours worked at a double rate (Article 153 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

How to pay for night outs:

• Night time is defined in the interval from 22.00 pm to 6.00 am.
• For work in the evening and at night, an increased payment is assigned: at least 20% for the evening, at least 40% for the night.
• The exact amount of the allowance is fixed in the local acts of the enterprise (Article 154 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

If the payment is calculated according to the monthly salary, then the amount can be calculated as follows:

1. Salary divided by the number of working days / hours.
2. The payment for one working day/hour must be multiplied by the actual number of days/hours worked.
3. Add additional charges for processing.

Video: why you should switch to a free mode of work

Flexible working hours are designed to create comfortable working conditions. The transition to an individual schedule does not deprive the employee of the rights to days off, annual rest and social benefits. The key to successful activity is the fulfillment of obligations by both parties in accordance with the signed contract.