For many of your employees, flexibility is the name of the game. That is, the game of balancing work and life: making sure the job gets done well while also making time to take evening classes, shuttle children to and from their activities, being there to support them, going to doctor appointments, getting the dishwasher fixed, and taking care of parents who are getting older, among other things. There are countless reasons and situations we can think of where employees might need flexible work hours to cope with the demands of work and life - let's take a look at five of them:

Healthy Vibes

Medical appointments happen every year, and some happen multiple times per year, like the dentist. Health-related issues can also happen unexpectedly - to employees and their dependents. Flexible schedules allow employees to take care of themselves and their family members whenever they need to.

Sick as a Dog

Family pets fall sick, too, and when that happens, someone needs to either stay home with them or take them to the vet. For many people, pets are family and should be taken care of as such...and flexibility can help make that happen.

Household Woes

Things also, inevitably, come up at home, such as a broken water heater or a flooded basement, and someone usually needs to be present for the repairs. A flexible work schedule can help take stress out of the equation.

The Dreaded Commute

Some employees might live a fair distance from the office, and in a large metro area, traffic can be horrendous. Commuters enjoy the luxury of flexible hours to beat traffic - with less time in the car, they're less stressed, and, in turn, more productive in the office.

Please Hold

Many organizations, like banks, the DMV, and insurance companies only field calls during business hours. For employees who work full time, and will inevitably be put on hold, flexibility can make it possible for them to check things off their growing to-do lists by calling at a time other than their lunch break (when everyone else is calling, too) and/or waiting on hold if necessary.

Giving employees the opportunity to handle life will help them better balance their time and schedules, freeing up their minds to focus on work when they're at work and deal with other responsibilities outside the office.

Do you encourage employees to embrace flexible work hours? If so, what's your policy? Is it working for your organization? Let us know in the comments below.