Editing Flextime (section)

== United Kingdom ==
Haller founded a company in the UK in 1971 and registered the trademark "Flextime", the mark remains the property of the company's successor HFX Ltd. In the Spring of 2003, 17.7% of men and 26.7% of women were employed with flextime arrangements in the [[United Kingdom]],{{Efn|Sourced by the UK Office for National Statistics 2003}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-trends--discontinued-/volume-111--no--10/key-indicators-of-women-s-position-in-britain.pdf |title=Key indicators of women's position in Britain |access-date=27 January 2012}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, flextime working is commonplace in both the [[private sector|private]] and [[public sector|public]] sectors. The practice is often found in [[Business administration|administrative]] and back-office functions of commercial organizations and [[Local government in the United Kingdom|local councils]].

In 2003, the UK Government introduced legislation<ref name="legal">{{cite web |url=http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/employment-legislation/employment-guidance/page35662.html |title=UK Department of Trade and Industry employment guidance |publisher=Dti.gov.uk |date=6 November 2009 |access-date=27 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706222833/http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/employment-legislation/employment-guidance/page35662.html |archive-date=6 July 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> that gave parents of children under 6, or the parents of disabled children under 18 the right in law to request a [[Labour market flexibility|flexible working arrangement]] from their employer. A survey in 2005 by the National Office of Statistics<ref name="A survey in 2005 by the National Office of Statistics">{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-trends--discontinued-/volume-113--no--7/families-and-work.pdf |title=ONS Survey 2005 |access-date=27 January 2012}}</ref> showed that 71% of female workers and 60% of male workers were aware of the rights created under the 2003 legislation. Between 2003 and 2005 more than 14% of all workers had requested a change to flexible working. Since April 2007 the right to request flexible working also applies to carers of adults.

On 13 November 2012, Deputy Prime Minister [[Nick Clegg]] announced plans to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/topstories/2012/Nov/flexible-parental-leave |title=Reform of flexible parental leave|publisher=BIS |access-date=14 November 2012}}</ref> this legislation took effect in April 2014. Lawyers{{who|date=March 2021}} have suggested that this will lead to "major headaches" for employers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lewissilkin.com/Journal/2012/November/Changing-the-clapped-out-rules-on-flexible-working.aspx|title=Changing the clapped out rules on flexible working|date=13 November 2012|publisher=Lewis Silkin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102145207/http://www.lewissilkin.com/Journal/2012/November/Changing-the-clapped-out-rules-on-flexible-working.aspx|archive-date=2 November 2013}}</ref>{{needs update|date=March 2021}}

Now being enforced by the law on 30 June 2014, industrial reports concentrate on workers' right to request for flexible working and how it is guided by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS). They explained how this code is designed to help employers, employees and their representatives to deal with disciplinary and grievance situations in the workplace.<ref>ACAS, 2009. Disciplinary and grievance procedures, ACAS website. [Online]. Available at: http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/k/b/Acas_Code_of_Practice_1_on_disciplinary_and_grievance_procedures-accssible-version-Jul-2012.pdf{{Dead link|date=November 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Accessed 7 February 2015.</ref>

Shift workers are generally excluded from flextime schemes as are senior managers.{{citation needed|date=January 2012}} Other groups of workers for whom flextime arrangements are rare include those who serve the public during specific opening times.

The advantages of Flextime for the individuals include a "better work–life balance", fewer commutes, less fatigue, more days off and lower sickness rates. The benefits for the company include better motivated workers, more efficient and effective operation, less fatigued workers and fewer errors; Flextime also gets' people working [[overtime]] hours without paying overtime rates, make fewer facilities required, and lower sickness rates.

For employers, flextime can aid the recruitment and retention of staff. It has been a particularly popular option in 2009 for employers trying to reduce staff costs without having to make redundancies during the recession. It can also help provide staff cover outside normal working hours and reduce the need for overtime. Additionally, flextime can also improve the provision of [[equal opportunities]] to staff unable to work standard hours.

Flextime can give employees greater freedom to organize their working lives to suit personal needs. In addition, travelling can be cheaper and easier if it is out of peak time.