How to Deal with the Challenges of Flexible Working Following on from our blog "Could Flexible Hours help your business succeed?" Flexible working seems like an idyllic idea for the employee but what about you, the employer, what challenges do you face? Cost Impact on Customer Service Management of Flexible Hours Communication and Accountability Isolation and not feeling part of the team Cost effectiveness has to be reviewed as part of the application for flexible working hours. This could include cost of technology required if the employee is to work from home. Also, you must consider staffing levels, if you allow flexible working in the office will this require you to employ more staff. Will the cost of the reduced flexible salary offset the cost of a new employee? All these things should be considered as part of your HR Strategy . Customer service should not be affected by flexible hours if they are implemented correctly, indeed flexible hours may well improve your customer service as you could conceivably provide a more all round service. As Flexible working applications are reviewed on an individual basis you can ensure that your team structure will provide you the man power required to keep your business on track. Communication is key in all businesses, managers must be open about what they expect from their team and there must be trust in the relationship. Ensuring your employee knows what their role is and agreeing on how to measure their output will ease the problems