Types of working day, some ideas to make flexible working work
Do you know that there are different work schedules apart from the famous 9 to 5 job? Seriously, we are in 2017, and both your company and your employees want you to be a little more flexible when it comes to establishing the working day, or at least you should know some of the options available.
You probably already have some ideas about this, but we think that showing some of the different types of working day that are available to you, can help you wipe off that weird face when your employees talk about things like “hourly working day” or “teleworking.” Have a quick look at this:
– Continuous working day.
The full-time working day only has a single brief interruption (20 or 30 minutes, a maximum of one hour) to eat or relax. By not having long interruptions when working, it is easier for the employee to have more free time for a good work and life balance, but can also be exhausting.
– Split working day.
This one might be a nightmare for a lot of people; it can be especially awful in certain jobs, such as those in places open to the public. Although for some people the idea of working from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with a break of 3 hours between one working time and another is attractive, most people would like to have a shorter break in order to finish the working day earlier so that they are not tied to their jobs for most of the day. This type of day is intended for the interests of the clients instead of those of the workers.
– Reduced working day.
As its name suggests, it is the one that does not follow the standard working day of 8 hours. Keep in mind that in some jobs, especially in those risky or stressful ones, law may require the reduction of working hours. At other times, the needs of your business or those of your workers will make the working day shorter. In a world in which technology makes workers more and more productive, this type of day is becoming more and more usual, to the point that in some countries a term has been created to define this type of jobs that have a reduced working day:
“Mini jobs”.
– Night shift.
This one is perfect for owls and vampires. Some people have slightly different biorhythms from the rest of us and enjoy this type of working day, which usually goes from 22:00 to 06:00. If we actually think about it, it is not that bad for late night radio shows, which have been living off of these people for years.
– Shift work.
In some jobs, generally due to the nature of the job, there is no possibility of interrupting the job, so there is no choice but to establish shifts to maintain the continuity. Typically, these kinds of jobs will be distributed in three eight-hour shifts, in which workers will alternate, and it will usually be rotating (the worker who has a one-night shift will have the next shift in the afternoon). Fire fighters, nurses, police or security personnel are used to these kinds of shifts.
– Working on holidays
Although it should be considered a crime against humanity, some people are forced to work on Sunday, or even on days like Christmas or New Years day. I am just joking but actually, many people have to work when the rest of us are enjoying our holidays. Thanks to these people, the world keeps spinning even in public holidays.
– Working overtime.
These are those hours of the working day that are carried out outside the duration of the usual working day. Often, there are legal limitations on the number of overtime hours that can be performed, so watch out, do not overdo it.
– Hourly working day.
This is a very flexible working day. The idea is to work a certain number of hours, usually less than the full time working day, which will be fulfilled flexibly. Thus, the worker will have some kind of freedom to distribute his work schedule, within limits agreed with the employer.
– Working day with compulsory hours.
In certain jobs and on very special occasions, collective agreements or employment contracts will establish times in which you have to work certain hours which will be mandatory. In some cases, for example, in situations such as events of force majeure (fires, catastrophes, etc.), some workers, such as fire fighters will have to take action in these events in order to avoid major damages and they will also be forced to work in occasions outside of their normal working day.
– Teleworking.
It can be hourly, but it can also be a full day. This is a type of working day in which the employee carries out the tasks in a different place from the workplace – usually from home, but also in other places, such as a coffee shop or a park – so there is freedom to organize the working hours.
Now that we have seen some possibilities, do you have any good ideas to implement a working day that best suits your needs? Let us know in the comment section some of your thoughts about this; we would like to know what you think and of course keep in mind that we have only shown some basic ideas of these types of working day. Usually, every type of working day will have a specific legal regulation that you must know and you will have to respect, so remember not to break the law.
And now that you know more about some of the different types of working day that are available to you, you can meet eHorus. Wait, what? Do you still not know what eHorus is? eHorus is a cloud-based remote management system for computers. If you want to know more about eHorus, do not be shy and do not forget to visit our website.
