# Flex Time for Employees with Children. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 12, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flex-time-for-employees-with-children/65218 "2001-05-12T16:34:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![labdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5fc32e/32.png) [@labdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labdude)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flex-time-for-employees-with-children/65218/21 "2001-05-15T14:38:20Z")
Will someone explain ‘flex time.’? I’ve never heard of this term. ---
**Author:** ![Kiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kiki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiki)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2001, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flex-time-for-employees-with-children/65218/22 "2001-05-15T18:32:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by labdude \* > \*\*Will someone explain ‘flex time.’? I’ve never heard of this term. \*\* We have flex time in the company I work for and basically it’s setting hours that work best for the individual. I know some women who like to work 9-5 because they can drop their kids off at school in the morning and their husband is off work early enough to pick them up from school. Others work 8-4 or 8:30-4:30. There are childless people here who work flexible hours so they can take classes. It’s pretty much up to our supervisor what hours we can work. For instance, they won’t let someone work 7-5:30 Monday-Thursday and have every Friday off. Everyone would be doing that then and the company would suffer for it. We even have a few individuals who work 7-3:30 and these are people and their kids are grown and out of the house. I don’t see why it should be offered only to people with children. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flex-time-for-employees-with-children/65218/23 "2001-05-15T19:29:19Z")
> [@](#): > > For instance, they won’t let someone work 7-5:30 Monday-Thursday and have every Friday off. My company actually will allow employes to take this option, and it definitely doesn’t cause problems, as not everyone – myself included – wants to work ten hours a day. It’s a nice benefit, and it definitely open to all employees, not just those with kids. My company tends to be very careful to not limit benefits to a select group. If we have a benefit, you can find a way to use it, no matter what situation you are in. We even have different insurance payment rates for different size families, instead of just the Single/Family designations, so married people without kids don’t have to pay as much for health insurance as do those with kids. Have I said before that I love this company? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JayAndrewAllen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@JayAndrewAllen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayAndrewAllen)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flex-time-for-employees-with-children/65218/24 "2001-05-15T22:21:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Amedeus \* > \*\*I do believe it **IS** the company that offers Flex time. What I don’t think is that we should just let every company decide to do what _they_ want. Without goverment mandates I doubt very much there would be minimum wages and 40 hour work weeks. “If you want to keep this job, you will work 60 hours a week, and no overtime pay for you” \*\* I doubt that. Business as a whole would never be able to get away with such a policy these days without voluntary employee cooperation. Competition for labor’s too tight, and the public outrage would make the position untenable. > [@](#): > > \*\* But realize that in this case the “childless” people are the minority. Should We also get paid less because we don’t have children to support? \*\* In current conditions you might get paid more, depending on how your company’s insurance system works. Family insurance costs more monthly than single-person. At my company it doesn’t work out like this, since the company foots the bill completely for your insurance and doesn’t pay out the difference. Personally, I think all companies in the US should increase vacation allowances by at least one week for _everybody_. The traditional two weeks holiday/one week sick is a pittance, especially if you have a family. I’m fortunate that my employer grants three weeks holiday/two weeks sick right off the bat, with the three weeks vesting by about five hours per pay period over the first year. Most people aren’t so luckly. I don’t want this to happen by legislation, though. We have enough draconian policies on the books. Businesses should do it when and if they realize it makes sound business sense. -J- ---
**Author:** ![JayAndrewAllen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@JayAndrewAllen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayAndrewAllen)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2001, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flex-time-for-employees-with-children/65218/25 "2001-05-15T22:31:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\* > I’d like to see some references to support the idea that child labor laws were all passed after the problem had passed. > > \*\* Try _Child Labor and the Industrial Revolution_ by Clark Nardinelli. I haven’t read it yet, but have heard it recommended highly: [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0253339715/qid=989965614/sr=1-19/ref=sc\_b\_19/107-6127787-9386165](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0253339715/qid=989965614/sr=1-19/ref=sc_b_19/107-6127787-9386165) And here’s a general critique of labor regulation from our good friends at Cato: [http://www.cato.org//pubs/regulation/reg18n1d.html](http://www.cato.org//pubs/regulation/reg18n1d.html) -J- [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flex-time-for-employees-with-children/65218.md?page=1)