One of the latest trends in the workplace today seems to be the use of a Flex Time Schedule. This kind of schedule entails working extra hours on certain days of a pay period in order to get a scheduled day off during that pay period. There are usually two flavors of this:

• One day off every two weeks - This is where you would work nine hours a day for eight days during the two weeks, and eight hours on one day. This leaves a free day that becomes your regular day off.

• One day off every week - In this schedule, you would work ten hours a day for four days a week, taking the 5th day as your regular day off.

For most businesses, having a scheduled day off every week is not feasible because (hopefully) you are too valuable to be taking one day off every week. This leaves the first option, which is what I’ve seen implemented the most in my experience. However, even if you decide that you want to try this schedule (and you’ve cleared it with your boss), there are three major points you should be aware of.

• You will occasionally need to work on your day off - An important point about working a Flex Time Schedule is understanding that working an extra one or two hours every day does not always equate to the work you would get done on the day you’re taking off. I can guarantee that you will need to work your day off at least once. If you have an important meeting or need to hit a deadline, they take precedence over your day off. These kinds of tasks cannot always be accomplished in the extra hours you have worked. You should be fully aware of this before you decide on this schedule.

• Your scheduled day off can change - This is somewhat in line with the first point. Although you will have a scheduled day off, this can and will change on occasion. The reason once again is business need. As stated above, meetings, deadlines, these all come before your day off.

• You may not get the day off you want - Everybody wants Friday off. It would be nice if your office could be empty on Friday, but this is obviously not the case. You’ll need to coordinate your scheduled day off with your co-workers and boss so that your project does not suffer. You can switch your day off occasionally, but make sure to clear it with your boss first so that no conflicts are created.

A Flex Time Schedule can be a great experience. It provides an opportunity to schedule appointments, vacations, etc, without having to dip into your precious paid time off bank. However, make sure you understand all of the implications involved in working this kind of schedule before you jump in.