Flexible Working as an Employee Recruitment and Retention Tool in the Public Sector in Bosnia and Herzego ina

!ntroduction Intense competition between the public and private sector in attracting employees has pushed the public sector to adapt new Human Resources practices. From recruitment to performance appraisal to compensation and benefits, the public sector is committing itself to innovative practices that seek to attract and retain employees. Flexible working and work-life balance are considered as tools that increase the attractiveness of public sector obs. !his research paper aims to analy"e the role of flexible working #flexi-time$ in the recruitment and retention of public sector employees. !his research paper will focus on the impact of Flexi-time on the recruitment and retention processes of public sector organi"ations. It aims to determine whether flexi-time attracts and retains public sector employees. Background o" the Study Flexible Working %ne of the most striking labor market developments of the post-war era has been the growth in female participation in the labor force, with the &'()s in particular seeing rapid growth in employment among women with children. !his change in the configuration of the labor market, as well as a range of other factors including competitive pressures labor shortages and the need to retain employees, coupled with a recognition of the challenges of reconciling work and family life,

has led to an increased interest in the notion of *flexible working+ arrangements and in so-called *family friendly policies+. !he two concepts are easily blurred. Flexible working including part-time work, flexi-time, ob sharing and home working may be of benefit to employees with and without children, while family friendly policies including the implementation and extension of statutory maternity rights, parental leave, help with childcare, career breaks and so on, are geared specifically to managing work and family life #,ully &'''$. Flexi#time Flextime #flexi-time$ is a scheduling option that allows workers to select their starting and -uitting times within limits established by management. !here are generally core hours when all employees must be present. .lthough starting and -uitting times vary, employee are re-uired to work a standard number of hours within a given time period #.very and /abel 0))&$. !here are several variations on the use of flextime such as fixed starting and -uitting times that vary daily, variations in the length of day with re-uired core hours, and variations in the length of day without mandatory core hours. 1ome flextime programs allow workers to bank hours for the future #%lmstead and 1mith &''2$. Bene"its o" Flextime "or Employees Flextime options has several benefits for the employees.. %ne of flextime+s advantages is that it allows employees to work according to their biological clock #Ronen &'(&3 4ollen &'(03 5rensing-6ophal &''73 %lmstead and 1mith &''23 6eak &''8 cited in .very and /abel 0))&$. 9arly risers can start their workday early in the morning when they feel most alert. .t the same time, staggered starting times accommodate workers who feel most productive later in the day. .nother advantage of flextime is that it can result in reduced commutes #Ronen

&'(&3 4ollen &'(0$. 9mployees can arrange their schedule so that they can travel to work during off-peak hours. .nother advantage is that flextime increases the employees+ amount of leisure and family time #Ronen &'(&3 Friedman &''&$. It gives individuals enough time to attend to personal matters. Flextime was found out to allow better coordination of work and family obligations, and it results in increased work satisfaction among parents #Ralston &'('$. Flextime according to :evine and 6ittinsky #&'';$, gives employees some control over their work hour without having to reduce their earnings. Flextime can also boost employee morale. 9mployees are given independence in choosing their own work schedules3 employees become responsible for getting work done within their own work schedules. In a research conducted by 5ottlieb, <elloway, and =arham in &''(, they found out that employees in organi"ations where flextime is available experience less stress than employees who are employed in organi"ations without flextime policies. Bene"its o" Flextime "or Employers 4umerous advantages have been reported regarding the benefits of flextime for employers. %ne benefit is the reduction of tardiness, absenteeism, and turnover. 1ome other benefits include improved recruiting, decreased overtime, improved employee morale, and better utili"ation of e-uipments #1wart &';(3 Ronen &'(&3 4ollen &'(03 :evine &'(;3 !ober &'((3 Friedman &''&3 1ommer and >alins &''&3 =ankston &''83 %lmstead and 1mith &'';3 <laus &'';3 >artine" &'';3 5ill &''( cited in .very and /abel 0))&$. .nother benefit for employers is flextime allows businesses to extend their hours of operation #=ankston &''83 5ottlieb, <elloway, and =arham &''($. Flextime can also improve scheduling, since it allows firms to respond to workload peaks and demands. Flextime results in better work organi"ation. .ccording to %lmsted and

1mith #&''2$, one of long-term benefits of flextime is improved managerial practices. It treats employees like adults, emphasi"es planning, and promotes a team approach to problem solving. Flextime re-uires a shift from a controlling to a facilitative management style. Statement o" the Problem !he study aims to determine the impact of Flexi-time in the recruitment and retention processes of public sector organi"ations in =osnia and Her"egovina. 1pecifically, the study intends to answer the following -uestions? &. @hat are the impacts of flexi-time options in the recruitment of employees in public sector organi"ations in =osnia and Her"egovinaA 0. @hat is the impact of flexi-time options in the retention of employees in public sector organi"ations in =osnia and Her"egovinaA 7. How do flexi-time options affect employee absenteeism, turnover, and tardiness in public sector organi"ations in =osnia and Her"egovinaA 2. How do flexi-time options affect employee motivation in public sector organi"ations in =osnia and Her"egovinaA $ims o" the Study !he study is designed to determine the importance of flexi-time arrangements as a recruitment and retention tool in public sector organi"ations in =osnia and Her"egovina. !he specific aims of the study are? &. !o determine whether flexi-time arrangements attract ob applicants to apply to public sector organi"ations.

0. !o determine whether flexi-time arrangements affect the employee+s decision to stay in public sector organi"ations. 7. !o determine whether flexi-time arrangements affect employee motivation, its impact on employee performance in particular. 2. !o determine whether flexi-time arrangements in public sector organi"ations in =osnia and Her"egovina affect employee absenteeism, tardiness and turnover. !he overall aim of the study is to educate and inform the public about the importance of flexi-time. =y focusing on public sector organi"ations, the researcher aims to contribute to the existing literature about the value of flexible working arrangements to both the employer and the employees. In addition, the researcher also aims to offer useful to decision makers and Human Resource 6ersonnel that are planning to introduce flexible working arrangements in their organi"ations. Signi"icance o" the Study !he topic of flexible working and its impact on recruitment and retention of employees are seldom discussed in recent literature. !his study would be a welcome addition to the existing studies and materials on flexible working. !he research will also be useful as it addresses issues in recruitment and retention of employees, a topic that has gained much interest from organi"ations worldwide. !he research can also be a useful reference for managers and policy makers especially in the public sector. Re"erences .very, , and /abel B 0))&, !he Flexible @orkplace? . 1ourcebook of Information and Research, Cuorum =ooks, @estport ,!.

=ankston, < &''8, *Flextime+, ,redit Dnion >anagement, vol.&', no. E, pp. 7( F 2&. ,ully, > et al. &''', =ritain at @ork? .s Bepicted by &''( @orkplace 9mployee Relations 1urvey, Routledge, :ondon. 5ottlieb, = H, <elloway, 9 <, and =arham, 9 G &''(, Flexible @ork .rrangements? >anaging the @ork-Family =oundary, @iley, ,hichester, 9ngland. 5rensing-6ophal, : &''7, *Flextime :ets 4ight %wls and 9arly =irds 1oar+, %ffice 1ystems, vol. &), no. 8, pp. 88-8;. :evine, G . and 6ittinsky, ! : &'';, @orking Fathers? 4ew 1trategies for =alancing @ork and Family, .ddison-@esley, Reading, >ass. >artine", > 4 &'';, *@ork-:ife 6rograms Reap =usiness =enefits+, HR>aga"ine vol. 20, no. 8, pp. &&)-&&2. 4ollen, 1 B &'(0, @ork 1chedules in 6ractice? >anaging !ime in a ,hanging 1ociety, Han 4ostrand Reinhold, 4ew Iork. %lmsted, = and 1mith, 1 &''2, ,reating a Flexible @orkplace? How to 1elect and >anage .lternative @ork %ptions. 0d edn, .>.,%>, 4ew Iork. 6eak, > H &''8, *Face-!ime Follies+, >anagement Review, vol. (E, no. 7, p. &. Ralston, B . &'(', +!he =enefits of Flextime? Real or ImaginedA+, Gournal of %rgani"ational =ehavior, vol. &), pp. 78'-7;7. Ronen, 1 &'(&, Flexible @ork 1chedules? .n Innovation in the Cuality of @ork :ife, >c5raw-Hill, 4ew Iork.

1ommer, < : and >alins, B I &''&, *Flexible @ork 1olutions+, 1mall =usiness Reports, vol. &8, no. (, pp. 0'-2). !ober, 6 . &'((, *!he 9merging Flexible @orkplace+, ,ompensation and =enefits Review, vol. 0), no. &, pp. ;)-;2.

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