philgoddard Dec 1, 2015:

I wouldn't use "directive". That word has been hijacked by the EU, which has a working time directive.

Ramey Rieger (X) Dec 1, 2015:

@Wendy Maybe that's all they have. you never know and I'm too busy to guess. :-)

Björn Vrooman Dec 1, 2015:

German reference "Rahmenzeit
Außerhalb der Kernzeit können die Beschäftigten den Beginn und das Ende ihrer täglichen Arbeitszeit innerhalb der Rahmenzeit, montags bis freitags von 6.00 bis 19.30 Uhr, selbst bestimmen. Arbeitszeiten außerhalb der Rahmenzeit bedürfen der Zustimmung der oder des Vorgesetzten. Die Vorschriften des Arbeitszeitgesetzes für Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer bzw. der Arbeitszeitverordnung für Beamtinnen und Beamte sowie die Vorschriften über den Arbeitsschutz sind zu beachten."
http://gremien.hu-berlin.de/de/personalrat/dienstvereinbarun...

I think I know what you're trying to say about core hours. I would assume they will have to be in the sentence after that one.

Look at the document here, page 1 and 2. It should read as follows:
Regelmäßige wöchentliche Arbeitszeit -> regular working hours
Rahmenzeit -> bandwidth
Präsenzzeit -> core hours
Gleitzeit -> flexible hours
Tägliche Sollzeit -> daily minimum
https://www.uni-muenchen.de/einrichtungen/zuv/uebersicht/dez...

And page 3: http://www.npt.gov.uk/PDF/recruitment_flexischeme.pdf

German states the overall time attended, whereas English will not.

Björn Vrooman Dec 1, 2015:

@Wendy Yes, I did say I would not choose core hours in any case, since that is not asked here.

To be clear, I do view all answers from Barbara on down as valid suggestions. My agreement is based on the ease of referencing that term (I could pull up another dozen references for it).

From the City of London (link cannot be given since it is a downloadable PDF):
"The Flexitime bandwidth is the span of time within which employees may gain Flexitime credit. The Flexitime bandwidth is 8am to 9:15am and 5:00pm to 6:00pm. Chief Officers have the discretion to vary the Flexitime bandwidth for their department, or larger divisions of their department based on the department’s standard operating hours, however the total bandwidth should not exceed 10 hours. The bandwidth can not be varied for individuals."

US (even used in the 1990s already):
"Bandwidth - the time during which employees may be on
the job."
http://www.deq.state.or.us/nwr/ECO/docs/workhours.pdf

Who am I to argue with British and American authorities?

Wendy Streitparth Dec 1, 2015:

But Ramey (and Björn), we don’t know if there are any core hours (Kernzeiten) – all we know is that there is a Rahmenzeit (time frame).

Björn Vrooman Dec 1, 2015:

Yes, I know. I wondered that too. Guess they're all-out laid back about when to see your colleagues again.

Ramey Rieger (X) Dec 1, 2015:

Of course, but the core hours are intentionally ambiguous.

Björn Vrooman Dec 1, 2015:

@Ramey Not ambiguous. It means you can be given permission to work outside those times if need be.

Ramey Rieger (X) Dec 1, 2015:

As a rule (in der Regel) the text is clearly ambiguous. As a rule, employees are to carry out their responsibilities between 6am and 11pm (flexitime) on the company x premises.

Björn Vrooman Dec 1, 2015:

@Wendy Yes, that's what I said in my comment to Stephen's answer.

Wendy Streitparth Dec 1, 2015:

As I understand it, the core period is the time in which all employees have to be present, whilst they can be flexible with the remainder of their working hours within a given time frame.

Ramey Rieger (X) Dec 1, 2015:

Moin Björn genauso! Flexitime http://www.dict.cc/?s=flexitime

Björn Vrooman Dec 1, 2015:

@tropsehni "Rahmenzeit
Die Rahmenzeit ist die Zeit, in der die Beschäftigten den Beginn und das Ende der täglichen Arbeitszeit selbst bestimmen können"
https://www.uni-paderborn.de/fileadmin/zv/4-3/Gleitzeit/Glei...

The core period is only one part of a flextime (Gleitzeit; BE flexitime) schedule. Or to have it explained by someone else:
Non-traditional work scheduling practice which allows full-time employees to choose their individual starting and quitting times within certain limits (such as 'not earlier than 5 a.m.' and 'not later than 9 p.m.'). Flextime periods usually precede or follow a core time during which all employees must be present.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/flextime.html

It is quite odd that there has been no core period (i.e. must-be-present policy) established.

I'd say it's about work being done between 6am and 11pm and could be a called flexible work schedule or flextime arrangement. This should help:
http://workplaceflexibility.bc.edu/types/types_arrangement_s...

Also useful:
http://www.genderbalance.uhasselt.be/content/flex/flex.html