The post-maternity-leave return to work is not an experience which is widely known for its relaxing qualities. I mean, it's true that I spent the last two weeks of my own maternity leave joking to my friends that the workplace would feel like a spa weekend in comparison to looking after a small child 24/7…
Last Spring, I went to the gorgeous, glorious wedding of a friend who works in AI. The bride was radiant, the groom beaming, and the vicar performed a heart-warming service. In many ways, it was a very traditional occasion. But when we came to the wedding breakfast, the Best Man's speech had a very modern twist. It had been written by ChatGPT.
This week, for the first time, we realised that it was light when we awoke. It's funny how such a small thing can lift your heart so much, isn't it? And in our newly-cheery state, we've noticed other tentative suggestions that winter might finally be drawing to a close. The cherry blossom at the school gate is cutting a dash through the grey afternoons. When the sun does come out, the March sky is so intensely blue - so sharp and crisp - that it almost hurts to look at it. They're tiny, incremental steps, but every day feels a little brighter here at 9-2-3 HQ. We're looking forward with renewed excitement to the months to come.
Leaving your children for the first time is a big step - there's just no getting around it. Whether you're re-joining the workforce after a career break or your maternity leave is coming to an end, the return to work can be nerve wracking.
Michael Georgiou from Aligned Career Coaching, helps professionals who have fallen out of love with the work they do find careers that both fulfil them and bring them joy. We asked Michael what falling out of love with a career might look like, and what professionals can do to start the process of finding a job they love…
In recent years, menopause in the workplace has become something of an – excuse the pun – hot topic. A report published last year by the cross-party Women and Equalities Committee revealed that the UK is “haemorrhaging talent” in the workplace as a result of menopausal symptoms – and of the stigma, lack of support and discrimination that can sometimes follow in their wake.
It was, as always, wonderful to see so many of the fantastic companies we work with or know at our "Flex: A Whole New World" event. As well as listening to some truly inspirational speakers, we had the chance to talk to many of you about the future of your businesses and how you see the world of flex moving forwards.
We all know that slightly bittersweet sense that the summer is drawing to a close. We try desperately to cling on to the last few weeks, pretending against all odds that the long evenings will continue forever. That the days are still full of promise. But we know, deep down, that time is marching on. September is upon us, and with it, a whisper of change is in the air.
We're almost there. It's so close we can almost touch it. We just need to get everyone over the finish line.... If, like ours, your children are hanging on for dear life for the end of term, then you might be counting down the days until schools break up. After all, the media would have us believe that the summer holidays are endless, sunlit days full of laughter and ice lollies. Shouldn't we all be looking forward to them...?
We've all been there. A stiflingly hot room. A colleague who loves the sound of their own voice. The flashing red alert of a pressing deadline going off in your head. Your stress levels are rising, and you know that when you walk out of here, your afternoon is going to involve an imitation of the metaphorical headless chicken, and alarming quantities of caffeine…
And finally, the sun is shining! We're struck by that most British of urges - to throw caution and our cardigans to the wind, and turn our faces to the light. We find ourselves smiling at strangers in the street. Our hearts swell a little at the crescendo of birdsong, heralding the arrival of spring! Oh wait. No. No, that's not birdsong, actually. That's the repeated pinging of your work phone. It heralds not the onset of a new season, but of a new project. It signals not the turning of the earth, but rather the turning of your planned evening into several hours of answering emails...
