Why flexible schedules need core hours
Flexibility without an overlap quickly causes problems: meetings are hard to schedule, clients cannot reach the team, and people on different timings stop seeing each other. Core hours solve this by guaranteeing a shared block every day. Teams book meetings, reviews and client calls inside it, and keep the flexible hours for focused work. The block should be long enough to be useful but short enough to leave real choice, often three to five hours.
Core hours in attendance rules
With core hours, attendance is judged differently from a fixed shift. Arriving at 10:30 am is fine if core hours start at 11 am. Missing part of the core block, or falling short of the minimum hours, is what counts against the employee. Remote and hybrid teams that work with clients abroad also use core hours, for example keeping 2 pm to 6 pm India time as the overlap with a European customer. In ZeniaHR, flexible shifts can carry optional core hours and minimum hours.
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What are core working hours?
Core working hours are the fixed stretch of the day, such as 11 am to 4 pm, when everyone on a flexible schedule must be at work or online. Before and after that block, employees choose their own start and finish times, provided they complete the required hours for the day or week.
Can core hours be different for different teams?
Yes. Teams that serve clients in other time zones, or that work closely with a plant on shifts, often need their own overlap window. The key is that each employee knows their core hours and the attendance system uses the right ones for them. Keep the number of different patterns small, or managers will struggle to schedule across teams.