Flexible working hours have recently gained a lot of attention from organizations and scholars as family-friendly policy. Nowadays, organizations are trying to incorporate a culture of trust by offering employees flexibility in the workplace [1]. In addition, some researchers argue that flexible working practices facilitate work-life balance, and with shifting family patterns such practices are beneficial for both women and men [2-4]. In this paper, relationship between flexible working hours and worklife balance is examined. This paper investigates whether flexible working hours support and enhance work-life balance or conversely create difficulties in balancing between work and life roles.

Firstly, some previous findings on flexible working hours are examined. With the use of existing evidence, flexible working hours are considered from employee and employer sides in order to show that flexibility in the workplace beneficial is not only for employee, but for employer as well. Secondly, existing literature on worklife balance is scanned. Stress and employee wellbeing are discussed as they are two key outcomes of work-life balance, one is negative and the other one is positive respectively. The literature lacks the evidence of flexible working hours impacting on work-life balance; however, two concepts are frequently used together in the studies. The paper proceeds with a brief discussion on a chosen topic. And finally, conclusion is provided to summarize the ideas of the paper.

Work flexibility implies not only variation in time and place of the job, but also sharing of the job, career breaks (maternity/paternity leaves), part-time and term-time working [5]. In the other study on flexible work arrangement (FWA), researchers discussed three broad categories of FWA-flexi-time (flexibility in scheduling), telehomeworking (flexibility in location), and part-time (flexibility in length of the work) [6]. While each of the arrangement could be used individually, they are frequently combined to compliment each other [7]. It should be noted that work flexibility offers convenience in planning, not reducing the working time. Thus, flexibility in work might be summarized as the ability of employee to control his/her working time duration as well as location of work (remotely from office), this ability in scheduling

 work suppose to be offered by employer [8].

Work-life balance concept recently gained attention due to its relevance and importance to all employees, despite of their relationship status, family size, and number of children. Some researchers believe that lack of balance is an effect of conflict between work and life responsibilities [19]. In their study on the support for the work-life balance, researchers found that emotional and instrumental support for employee during the work has a positive relationship with the work-life balance satisfaction [20]. The positive relationship has been found between worklife balance and work performance [21]. Thus, successful accomplishment of life responsibilities (family and parental roles) results in better work performance. While finding a balance in life and work responsibilities increase general life satisfaction [22].

Flexible working hours have been introduced as a benefit for parent/caring employees in order to help them fulfilling work and life responsibilities and achieving worklife balance [31]. In the recent work-life balance survey, researchers found that employees believe that flexible working practices improve workplace morale, which might positively influence work-life balance; in addition employees believe that employer is able to help them balance their work and life roles [32]. As an example, flexible working hours is one of the best activities to increase employee wellbeing, as it helps employee to deal with responsibilities outside the work [33].

Flexible working practices are beneficial for both employee and employer. Hence, in the first place flexibility was introduced to the workplace in order to help employees with kids or employees who care after siblings to manage their time between work and life. As flexibility gives employee the ability to control when, where, and how much time do they work, flexibility definitely contributes to improvement in allocation of work and life responsibilities. Thus, employee might end up fulfilling his/her working as well as well non-working roles easily. Finally, successful achievement of inside the work and outside the work responsibilities leads to finding worklife balance, which increase overall life satisfaction. To summarize, it might be said that use of flexible working practices positively influence on work-life balance and overall life satisfaction of the employee.

Looking from employer point of view, flexibility in the workplace also brought some important benefits. Higher satisfaction with the work and employer, better employee performance, greater organizational commitment, and lower employee turnover and absenteeism are all outcomes of flexible working practices that at the end lead to increasing company’s productivity and profitability.

The stress on the work impacts on employee’s personal outside the work life, which creates difficulties in finding work-life balance. Stress causes some serious mental and physical problems that negatively influence on employee’s productivity and wellbeing. Thus, it might be said that on the work stress decreases employee’s work-life balance, while wellbeing contributes to higher level of work-life balance. It is the responsibility of employer to create the wellness workplace (stress-free and trust-based environment) for employees in order to increase their productivity.

Previously, flexible working hours have been highly requested and used by women due to their family roles. However, flexible working hours are offered to men as well. Nowadays, both women and men due to the new family patterns use flexible working practices, where both parents have equal family roles and dual family income. Thus, it is important for both of them to successfully fulfil work and life responsibilities and achieve work-life balance.

This paper examined flexible working hours from its positive point of view. The investigation showed that introduction of flexible working hours brought some benefits for both employee and employer. Also, flexibility in the workplace gives employees time to perform outside of the work roles and it helps balance employees’ work and life.

Trust between employer and employee is an important issue when it comes to flexible working hours. If not monitored by manager, flexible working hours might create some difficulties in the workplace. Further study on flexible working hours need to be taken to understand the drawbacks of such practices. Only after investigating flexible working practices from both positive and negative sides, organizations might consider applying flexibility to the workplace.