There are many ways to set up a compressed workweek. Compressed schedule with one PTO day M T W Th F Total work + PTO 10 10 1.25 PTO* 10 No work 30 worked + 10 PTO = 40 *(= 10 PTO hours) If a holiday occurs on one of the four ten-hour workdays, eight holiday hours are applied to that time off. If you receive a request for compressed working hours, then it’s worth talking to that person making the request to learn more about what they’re trying to achieve. Staff working compressed hours work their total contracted hours over fewer working days. A compressed workday schedule is when you work fewer hours in a day. Compressed hours does mean long days at work which may be more tiring to perform or more difficult to plan around but like many things, it’s a trade-off. A compressed work schedule type is one in which employees work the same amount of hours in fewer days when compared to the standard “9-to-5” model. Scenario 1 —Permits the exempt employee to have one non-work day every two weeks. Better work-life balance by reducing the total number of days in the office. It’s important to have an alternate contact to avoid days off being interrupted with work matters. Some companies may support a specific schedule, like a nine-day fortnight, but in general, most companies allow you to accrue the hours to use how best works for you. A compressed work schedule is one where employees maintain a full-time schedule (which adds up to 80 hours over two weeks) but in a fewer number of … Having a full day away from the office enables you to plan more outside of work. As of 2014, the right to request flexible working practices become protected under UK employment law. There is no single way of using compressed hours – compressing five working days into four is only one example of how it can work. Compressed hours are a type of flexible working where you increase the amount you work each day so you can reduce the number of days you work in a given period or take a days holiday in lieu. If you find this happening you should discuss with your employer. The most popular choices in a compressed workweek are five 9-hour days the first week, and then a week of four 9-hours days. For example, if you work 40 hours a week and want to work a four-day compressed week, its 40 / 4 = 10 hours per day. Working full-time hours but over fewer days. The period can be what you choose; it may be a week, every other week, or a month. You still work full-time hours so there is no reduction in pay but you have to work more hours on the days you work to make up the time. To work out your nine day fortnight you just need to divide your hours over nine days, so that could be 7 days of 8 hours and 2 days of 7 hours. Maintaining your full-time income whilst being able to work fewer days. 3. For employees, compressed workweeks allow workers to enjoy larger blocks of leisure time and reduce transport expenses and overall commuting time because they … Employees accomplish the full number of required weekly hours by working longer days. Let’s look at examples of the most common types. What are the benefits of a compressed work schedule? 9. Compressed hours are a great way to reduce the total number of days you work or increase your holidays with time off in lieu. For example, if you work 40 hours a week and want to work a four-day compressed week, its 40 / 4 = 10 hours per day. From tracking time off, running performance reviews or keeping tabs on employee engagement, Charlie provides everything you need to manage your people – all in one place. A compressed work week allows employees to work full‐time hours in fewer than five days per week. Used correctly, compressed working hours can be a great tool for keeping people in the business when they otherwise might look for a change. But you are obliged to follow certain steps to ensure that you give the request fair consideration. When she takes annual leave she will be paid for 9.4 hours. He opted for a compressed work week (CWW), in which he works nine 9-hour days over a two-week stretch and then has every other Friday off (another common type of CWWs consists of four 10-hour days with every Friday off). "My employee has asked to use compressed hours… what do I do now?" The term ‘flexible working’ can cover a range of different working patterns, or location. Some employees arrange their working time over a nine day fortnight. Because of bus times it can occasionally be a challenge to get all the hours in. Typically people will work a four day week or a nine-day fortnight but there are many variations if your employer supports them. She gets more money each day … When one of their usual working days falls on a bank holiday, their usual number of hours for that day will be deducted from their annual leave entitlement. You can also request flexible working without a statutory request which may be the best first step in some instances. Compressed hours can make holiday entitlement a little confusing depending on how your company calculates them. This type of working pattern can be accommodated within our existing flexible working hours system, provided your Head of Group/Office agrees to the change. For example, in certain manufacturing industries, there is often a start-up expense each time a production line is put into use. In this article, we’re going to examine compressed working hours – explaining exactly what compressed hours are, how they work and the benefits and disadvantages of using them, both for the employer and employee. It can work well, but usually when most people do actually work their contracted hours. Contact your HR department if you have a question about it but your holiday entitlement should not change if you are working the same amount of total time. Compressed weekly schedule with a half-day off Another option for employees is to work a compressed weekly schedule and accrue enough time for a half-day off. Compressed working hours is a type of flexible working arrangement, that allows employees to compress their regular normal working week into fewer days. You are foregoing more time during the days you work so that you can free up more days that you don’t work. If you are looking to convince your employer about how you can perform your job in a compressed week, the following video and accompanying book may help. So you'd work nine-hour days Monday through Thursday, a regular day on the first Friday, and then take the second Friday off. Example: You and all your coworkers work from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. to complete all of the required tasks each day. By having employees work longer hours for fewer days, the overall daily start-up costs are reduced. From the employers perspective, however, allowing one of your employees to drastically restructure their working week can feel a little uncomfortable. When an employee works compressed hours, then their annual leave is calculated in hours rather than days. Compressed hours. An employee can request to rearrange their hours in all kinds of ways. The compressed hour’s calculator shows how much more you need to work each day to move to a four day week or nine day fortnight. II. For a nine-day fortnight it would be 40 x 2 = 80 (gives your fortnightly hours) then 80 / 9 = 8 hours 53 minutes. Compressed Workweek: • Four and a half day workweek (for 37-1/2 hour employee) Work 33.50 hours in four days; 4 hours in one day Monday through Wednesday work 8-1/2 hours (8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m., ½ hour lunch); Thursday work 8 hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., ½ hour lunch); Friday work 4 hours (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon). Working fewer days reduces the amount you have to commute which has been shown to have, Working more hours in a day can be more physically and mentally taxing, with some people finding it more difficult to find time for much life outside of work. 11) Compressed. This could be compressed into four days of 10 hours or three and a half days of 11 or 12 hours per day. Compressed hours, just like it sounds, compress the number of hours you need to work over a period of time, say a week, into fewer days. 1. People who work compressed hours highlight the following positive points: Compressed hours is not without challenges though: Claire works full-time on a 35 hours a week contract and is looking to work four days a week. Compressed working hours are just one type of what is called flexible working practices (you can read our full guide to the many types of flexible working by clicking the link). Click here to read our full guide to flexible working requests, and the steps you need to take as an employer. Set ‘Required time’ rule for the time, when the employee is required to be present at the office. In this experiment, they did not need to work additional hours to move to a four day week but confirm they could complete the work they had previously done in five in just four by being more effective. Some people find the additional hours to be demanding but for many the ability to have additional days off work on a regular basis out weight the extra time spent. I have to agree with everyone else about the compressed hours. Compressed schedules allow employees the same number of full-time hours in fewer work days. Definition A compressed schedule, sometimes called a flex schedule, increases an employee's number of daily hours without changing the total number of hours weekly. So, for example, you may currently work 40 hours over five days. I do 35 hours over 4.5 days. For example, a firm specifies core hours of 10 to 3 Monday to Friday and employees are free to work the rest of their hours when they want. Alternate Work Schedule A broad term for any flexible or non-standard work schedule that is arranged at the request or preference of the employee. This yields the industry-standard 40 hours of work per week. I tend to have the car for one day a week and do a 9 or 10 hour day to help boost up my hours, but circumstances still often intervene. It is expected that applications to work compressed hours will come from staff in the Professional Services or Research Only job families. Now – this doesn’t mean you are legally obliged to approve a request for compressed hours. Applying a compressed workweek is easier with non-exempt staff where maximum work hours are recognized. 2. If it’s something you think can be done without overly affecting the business, then give their request some thought. If you work a 35 hour week, you must do 70 hours in a fortnight (35 x 2). Another common compressed work schedule is working four 10-hour days and taking the fifth weekday off. Andrew Barnes, a successful businessman moved his entire company to a four day week. A compressed type of work schedule provides fixed work hours, which make it easier to plan and predict labor costs. So this means you are entitled to the same salary and benefits as before. The amount of hours in a nine day fortnight depends on how many hours you are contracted to work each week. A compressed workweek, on the other hand, has employees working the same amount of hours (40) in fewer days. I should warn you that it can be quite tough depending on the nature of the job. For most people it’s simple, you are entitled to the same amount of holidays as any other full-time employee if you are working the same amount of time. These are all valid concerns, and concerns you should certainly weigh up when considering their request. I do compressed hours. Reduced hours when an employee works for less than the standard working hours either by fewer hours per day or by fewer days per week. If you want to work a four day week, you need to compress the number of hours you do that week into four days. An employee could stay an hour later every day, for example, in order to leave after lunch on Wednesdays. The shorter the time between days off will impact how much more you will have to work each day to make up the time. Exempt Employees (not overtime eligible) have flexibility when it comes to creating a Compressed work schedule. A compressed work schedule can vary, depending on what you negotiate with your employer. For example, a full-time employee could … From the employer’s perspective, compressed workweeks allow for longer working hours and thus lower start-up expenses. In such cases salary is calculated anew depending on the new schedule. Making a flexible working request. The fact you are in the workplace less total days should not make a difference to the amount of holiday or vacation days you receive. Or it could be 9 days of 7 hours 47 mins. • A full‐time schedule of work is accomplished over two weeks by working 80 hours in nine days (eight 9 hour days plus one 8 hour day, for example). You can try it free today by clicking here. So her annual leave is less because she's being paid for *more* hours of *not* working each day. Compressed hours do not change the total amount of hours you work, so if you are full-time, you remain full-time when you compress hours, you just do those full-time hours over fewer days. Will it be disruptive to lose them from the office completely on certain days each week? The most common compressed working hours arrangements involve working: 37 contracted hours over a 4 day period; and 74 contracted hours over a 9 day period. Other arrangements will be considered, for example, two half non-working days per week. Compressed hours are when the week’s work is compressed into a shorter time span. Similarly, if you are part-time, you still do the same amount of hours as before. By increasing her working day by 1 hour and 45 minutes each day she is able to take every fifth day off. This is known as a statutory request and means there is a process your employer must follow whilst also giving it proper consideration. For example, if you work 8.33 hours per day for 5 days, the payment to you will be 8.33 hours per day x 5 days which would be equivalent to 41.65 hours. Flexible working helps you shape the hours, location, and scope of your work to fit the life you want to lead. An employee can request to rearrange their hours in all kinds of ways. For example, a full-time staff member could work 36.5 hours over 4.5 days or a 9 day fortnight rather than 5 days. The purpose of this handbook is to provide a framework for Federal agencies to consult in establishing alternative work schedules and to provide additional information to assist agencies in administering such programs.This handbook, with its appendices, provides detailed information on the administration of flexible and compressed work schedules, jointly referred to as alternative work schedules or AWS. Sometimes, a compressed workweek even spans two different weeks. For instance, employees on a 40 hour week might work four days each week of 10 hours duration. The central feature is reallocation of work into fewer and longer blocks during the week. Examples (for a 40‐hour‐per‐week employee): • A full‐time schedule of work is accomplished by working four 10 hour days. Complying with your industrial award Compressed hours are a recognised type of flexible working so you can submit a request under UK employment law. Companies that support compressed hours will have a way to calculate the correct allocation, it’s just that their handbook or HR guide will be written to reference days vs hours. Compressed week when employees work longer hours on a number of days per week so they can take time off on the remaining days. DuoMe’s mission is to make flexible working a common, simple, and preferred choice for employers, managers and the staff that really want it. A compressed work schedule allows an employee to work a traditional 35-40 hour workweek in less than five workdays. 2. For a nine-day fortnight it would be 40 x 2 = 80 (gives your fortnightly hours) then 80 / 9 = 8 hours 53 minutes. This An employee could choose to spread those work hours out how they see fit, some days being longer than others. Or perhaps you would like to have Friday off every other week, for that you need to compress your contracted hours for two weeks into nine days. Compressed Work Schedule Examples. Set ‘Plan’ rule to 10 hours from Monday to Thursday and to 0 hours on Friday to define the Monday to Thursday compressed work week. DuoMe can help you find a job share or arrange flexible working so try it free today. Getting contacted by work on your days that you are out of the office, as others are still working they may contact you with enquiries. On her compressed hours she works, say, 9.4 hours and is paid for that. Currently working, but want to make time for other things? compressed hours a method used to reduce the number of days worked each week or month by extending the number of hours worked each day. The same may be the case for those who work compressed hours (full-time hours over fewer days). Compressed hours are calculated by dividing the amount of time you must work by the reduced number of days you plan to work. For example, you could work Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m to 6 p.m. then get every Friday off. For example, a full-time employee scheduled for 40 hours per week could work four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days. An employee could stay an hour later every day, for example, in order to leave after lunch on Wednesdays. Example working patterns: 25 hours a week, over 4 days. Compressed hours: compressed working weeks (or fortnights) don't necessarily involve a reduction in total hours or any extension in individual choice over which hours are worked. The experiment was a great success and they found many benefits in terms of how the workforce responded to the challenge. But what are compressed hours, and how do they work? In this case this is 10 hours from … You might feel apprehensive – will the quality of their work remain as high while working extra hours every day? CharlieHR builds software to help small businesses thrive. From an employees point of view, compressed hours represent a great solution for people who want to combine their day job with another project – that could mean higher education, for example, or their own ‘side-project’ business idea. He wants to take every other Friday off from work so must work an additional hour for eight of the nine days between each day off. Fact Sheet: Compressed Work Schedules Description An agency may implement for its employees an alternative work schedule (AWS) instead of traditional fixed work schedules (e.g., 8 … For example, someone who is working full time can work four 10-hour days instead of the usual 8-hour days. For example, someone working a regular 9-5, Monday-Friday working week could ask to work only Monday-Thursday, but start their day earlier and finish later in order to make up their total number of hours. The confusion often comes when companies calculate annual holiday entitlement based on the days you’ve worked through the year. Being outside of the office for a full day can lead to requiring you to catch up on activities that occurred while you were out. Obviously this is quite an extreme example but it’s helpful to see that it can be done and use it to show what has been done in other organisations. However, if you wish to formalise the change in working pattern you should apply under the Fl… Many compressed work schedule options may be negotiated. Compressed hours are calculated by dividing the amount of time you must work by the reduced number of days you plan to work. It is similar to a part-time schedule but in a way where most or all employees in a company work the same compressed schedule. He still works the same number of hours, essentially banking one extra hour a day and cashing these in every two weeks. Note: The example below shows a 36.25 hours per week roster. There is no single way of using compressed hours – compressing five working days into four is only one example of how it can work. Or, an employee could opt to work 8.9 hours per day, and take one full day off every two weeks (exempt employees only). John works full-time on a 40 hours a week contract doing 8 hours a day. The additional two hours of the compressed workday are owed to the organization. Non-exempt Employees (overtime eligible) have to keep in mind that they incur overtime in any week in which they work more than 40 hours. Thinking about returning to work, but can’t work full-time? An example might be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Other options include three 12-hour days or four 10-hour days. Flexitime. But simply dismissing that request out of hand is a mistake – handled correctly, compressed hours can be a great way of keeping people in the business who might otherwise leave completely.