Just Ask Part 3: How To Get Flexi Time At Work

In Part 1, we saved some money on insurance by asking, Part 2 saved us a tidy some in HELB penalties. The third and final post looks at how to get flexi-time at work.

In 2011, IBM’s research on the cities with the worst traffic jam in the world ranked Nairobi as the 4th most painful city to commute within, in the world! We know that since 2011, traffic has just gotten worse, and while there’s jam throughout the day, we know the worst traffic is between 6am and 8am, as people try to get to their 8-5 jobs.

How much time do you spend sitting in traffic every day? Did you know that in addition to wasting time, a long commute causes unhappiness? The length here isn’t purely time spent, but the level of control you have over your commute. People who cycle or walk to work may take longer to get to work, but they’re generally happier than those who are stuck in cars/buses/trains for hours every day.

While we all can’t cycle or walk, we can reduce the commute pain by individualizing our work schedules. Save for jobs that demand you to be physically present for the shift (receptionists, doctors, nurses guards, hotel line staff etc), there is absolutely no reason why you should be stuck on an 8-5 schedule, despite what your work contract says.

“But my employer requires me to do 8-5!”

Well, all employers do, because it is the easiest way to manage staff, most of whom cannot be trusted not to abuse flexibility.  Very early in my career, I realized that the secret to asking and getting flexi-time is to show your employer you can be trusted with the freedom to manage your hours. You do this in the following ways:

1. It starts by delivering what’s expected of you, and then some. Why should I go beyond my duty yet I am not being paid more? Well, because by doing more you learn more, but also, you demonstrate to your employer that you have their back. Flexi-time is not a right, hence the need to earn trust.
2. Make sure you meet ALL your deadlines, and when it is clear you will not be able to, communicate well in advance that you will not, and give an alternative date. This is a key way to demonstrate reliability and ownership of your job. Most people let deadlines quietly slide by, or wait to be asked about them, and this makes them seem extremely unreliable.
3. Work after hours. Yes. Do some work in the evening, or for an hour or two over the weekend. This demonstrates that your life is organized enough for you to still get work done even if you are not in the office. If you are the kind to totally switch off on Friday at 5pm and show up groggy on Monday at 8am, you probably do not have the discipline to handle flexi-time.
4. Ask!  Ask in such a way that demonstrates that this is a win-win for both you and your employer. Show them that the time wasted in the commute could be better used for the benefit of both your employer and you, and come up with a flexi-time proposal that still leaves you with sufficient office time, the mandated 8 hours. You could ask to come in at 6am and leave at 2pm, or to come in at 9am and leave at 6pm and so on…
5. Do not mess it up. Once you have the privilege of a flexible schedule, do not make your employer regret trusting you by becoming less productive/unreliable etc. Keep following guidelines (1) and (2) above.

Just as a note, flexi-time doesn’t have to be cast in stone. It can be occasional. I will sometimes leave the office at 2pm, with the promise that I will then work on some outstanding work at home in the evening. The only reason this doesn’t make my boss uncomfortable is the fact that she knows she can rely on me to keep my word.  Bosses start to count the hours when you start slipping on your deadlines, or if the quality of your work suffers. .

Is this only for management-level positions? I don’t think so, I first requested for flexi-schedule consideration 1 year into my first job, and I’ve been on (mostly) flexi-time for the last 9 years.

So there you have it. Be a reliable worker, and ask!