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Keep staff happy with a successful flexible hours program

Patient Access Weekly Advisor, December 12, 2007

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Some access departments use a flex-hours system that allows a staff member to schedule his or her own hours, such as four 10-hour days. The key, managers say, is to balance schedules to ensure adequate coverage in the facility.

Debbie Campbell, vice president of Medical Business Office, Inc., in Jefferson City, MO, says the module of flexible hours is a hit. Her facility is a billing service that represents hospital- and office-based practices. It has had a flex schedule for about the past seven or eight years. Certain rules, Campbell says, make it work well.

Holiday weeks. You get the holiday off (eight hours), but you work the remaining four days (also eight hours).

End of month. If the office is not ahead of schedule, you have to work eight hours for five days (this only happens about once every few months, says Campbell).

Chosen days off. "I allow a certain amount of slots for each day. When the slots are full, you have to pick another day. The first slots fill up on Fridays, while next in line is Monday, and then I have a few that take Wednesdays. I was told when you take Wednesday, it feels like you're working part-time. Work two days, have a day off, work two more days, have the weekend off."

Who qualifies for flexible schedule. Anyone employed for one year, with a proven track record of quality work and good attendance.

"I have found this to be a great morale booster," Campbell says. "People like having some control over their working hours. From the business standpoint, it's good for the office, as [it] know[s] [it] ha[s] to meet the guidelines of keeping up with [its] work or [it] lose[s] the flexibility. I have only had to take the flexibility away from one person over these last years, but that person didn't last anyway. I don't make a supervisor be available unless that person is also on flex. I have cameras throughout the office, and I check to see how people are doing without supervision. I would say approximately 70% of the employees are on flex time."

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