Diane Lightfoot joins us for #LetsAllFlexTogetherDay 2018!

We're delighted to have Diane join us for the launch of the National Flexible Working Day 2018. As the CEO of the Business and Disability Forum, she has a great depth of expertise to add to ur Flexible Working panel on the day and tell us why Flexible Working really should be for everyone.

Here, she sits down with us and tells us how she'll be contributing on the day....

1. Tell us who you are and about your role?

I’m CEO of Business Disability Forum, a not for profit membership organisation and registered charity which exists to support businesses to recruit and retain disabled employees and serve disabled customers. Ultimately, our mission is about transforming the life chances of disabled people as employees and consumers. As CEO, I lead a team of really passionate, creative people who provide practical advice and support to our 300 Members and Partners via our Advice Service, Training, Events, Resources and consultancy and who lobby on key policy issues. I’m also lucky enough to work closely with our member and partner organisations – who include a huge range of household names and together employ 15% of the UK workforce – to create tools and campaigns for change.

       2. Why do you feel that flexible working should be for all?

One of the top topics – and frequently asked questions – to our Advice Service is workplace adjustments; what they are, how to make them and what options are possible. Whilst people tend to think of pieces of “kit” when they think of adjustments, one of the simplest and most impactful adjustments in improving the experience of disabled employees is flexible working and indeed it is the most common adjustment in the UK. Flexible working means that people can avoid travelling in rush hour, if that causes stress or anxiety for example or if it is difficult to accommodate a wheelchair on a packed train. Having the ability to work remotely can also be very helpful for example for people with energy-limiting conditions who also might want to work a split day to manage energy levels. Of course, flexible working can benefit everyone and if it is available to all you reduce the need for people to have to ask when they might not want to tell you why they need it, whether that is because of a disability or caring responsibilities, for example. It also reduces any possible resentment around “special treatment” for some and not others.

      3. Have you seen any benefits of working flexibly to date?

We know that flexible working patterns have been the difference between employees staying in work and not going back to work. We also know that employees enjoy work more if they can work flexibly – it can create a better work-life balance and enable people to be not only a better employee, but also a better partner, parent, etc. Flexible working also fits with a focus on outcomes and on what you need done rather than being prescriptive about how and when something should be done. Flexible working gives employees the space to figure out how best they can achieve those outcomes – and if you focus on the outcomes rather than process then people will have the freedom to work in the way that makes them most effective and most productive – and that’s good for the business too.

      4. What’s your top tip for businesses who are yet to implement this practice?

The top tip for businesses is simply to try it!

      5. What will you and your company be doing to support National Flexible Working day 2018?

I’ll be supporting it by speaking at the 923 event on 12 September and we will use it as a hook to continue to promote the benefits of flexible working for disabled employees.

Register here to attend our National Flexible Working Day on 12th September to join in the conversation around flexible working, see how it works in action and talk to business' who are doing this already. If you can't attend in person, why not join in online, posting your comments and questions (and we'd love to see your pictures too) using our hashtag #LetsAllFlexTogetherDay - see you there!

Flexi-Star series pt 3: Joeli Brearley from Pregnant then Screwed

Joeli needs no introduction really....but if you haven't yet heard of Pregnant Then Screwed then it's vital that you have a read below! Joeli campaigns hard for transparency in business when it comes to Flexible Working and is busily working away on the new 'Pregnant Then Elected' project to support more mothers to start a career in Politics. What a fabulous lady! Find out more on her website here.

1. Tell us who you are and a little about yourself

Hi, I am Joeli, I'm a campaigner and writer who spends a ridiculous amount of time waxing lyrical about the motherhood penalty and how our traditional workplace is shafting mothers.  I set up the pressure group, Pregnant Then Screwed in 2015 after I was sacked by my employer the day after I had informed them I was expecting. My employer was a children’s charity. Since then Pregnant Then Screwed has gone from strength to strength; we have a free legal advice line, a mentor scheme which pairs up women who have been through an employment tribunal with a woman about to go through the same process, a flexible working helpline and we run our UK Festival Of Motherhood and Work - Pregnant Then Screwed Live - In Manchester and London every year. 

 2. What’s your flexible working purpose? 

We have been campaigning for the Government to force companies to report on how many flexible working requests are made and how many are granted. We believe this transparency will force companies to rethink their attitude to flexible working. We are also keen to see companies adopt job shares as standard and we would like to see MPs be able to work as a job share - Parliament should be leading the way in terms of flexible working but it is not. 

 3. What encouraged you to start your flexible working journey? 

When I started Pregnant Then Screwed I heard from so many mothers who had been forced to quit their job as their employer refused to be even slightly flexible. Employers were making it impossible for mothers to balance being a parent and their professional obligations. Some women just needed 30 minutes of flexibility to make it work but their employers were so stuck in their ways they refused, forcing a new mother to be unemployed. Alongside this I was reading report after report that showed implementing flexible working had a positive impact on productivity and profit. It made no sense whatsoever, employers were shooting themselves in the foot and the result was mothers being out of work and struggling to make ends meet. 

        4. What’s your top tip for those seeking flexible work to ask for this at work?

Try and solve the problems for your employer. Put yourself in their shoes and then work out what they will see as the challenges so you have an answer for everything. Also, if they are reluctant, suggest a trial.

Register here to attend our National Flexible Working Day on 12th September to join in the conversation around flexible working, see how it works in action and talk to business' who are doing this already. If you can't attend in person, why not join in online, posting your comments and questions (and we'd love to see your pictures too) using our hashtag #LetsAllFlexTogetherDay - see you there!

Flexi-Star series pt 2: Vicki Psarias (a.k.a Honest Mum)

Meet Vicki, who has been on an incredible flexible working journey, carving out a remarkable career for herself which works for her and her family. Vicki is #1 Bestselling Author/ Blogger/ Vlogger/ Filmmaker/ TV Director & Founder of Honest Mum® honestmum.com .....just how does she fit it all in?

1. Tell us who you are and a little about yourself…

I'm a mum of two, former award winning filmmaker and full time blogger and vlogger. My debut book Mumboss became a number 1 bestseller on Amazon when it was released earlier this year, and in it, I share all that I've learned over the 7 years moving into this gloriously democratic and nourishing digital space.  

2. What’s your flexible working purpose?

Directing proved to be inflexible (12-15 hours on set doesn't work with kids) so after briefly returning to direct some commercials when Oliver was 1, I felt incredibly lucky when my blog organically became a business and I could pivot into blogging and vlogging in a flexible, well paid career that worked for my family.

3. What encouraged you to start your flexible working journey?

The inequalities and inflexible nature of the traditional media industry I was working in.  

4. What’s your top tip for those seeking flexible work or those who need to ask for this at work?

Speak to HR at work, explain your requirements and negotiate. Consider starting a digital side hustle that could become your full time job. Follow your passions.  

Register here to attend our National Flexible Working Day on 12th September to join in the conversation around flexible working, see how it works in action and talk to business' who are doing this already. If you can't attend in person, why not join in online, posting your comments and questions (and we'd love to see your pictures too) using our hashtag #LetsAllFlexTogetherDay - see you there!

Returning to work....finding my way back

Six years. 

Six years of baby groups, teething, weaning, sleep deprivation, nappy changes, playdates, Cbeebies, endless snacks (for the kids…and me), potty training, coffee gone cold, epic meltdowns (for the kids…and me) and cuddles. LOTS of cuddles. 

I have loved my time away from the workplace, embracing the role of Mummy. It’s never been an easy task, nor one that I instantly felt secure in, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I left my full-time job as Head of Communications back in February 2012, to have my daughter, Daisy who is now six. I was more than ready to ditch the 9-5, and the gruelling 90 + minute commute into central London (I had a ‘triple event’ commute, encompassing a 45-minute train journey, a tube ride and a significant walk). Making that mental shift from enjoying a professional full-time career, to becoming a stay-at-home mum definitely took a while to get my head around. Suddenly, strategy meetings and photoshoots were replaced with Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in a village hall with a bunch of strangers and a crying baby.   

I had intended to return to work once my maternity leave ended. However, life had other plans for us, and our little family of three ended up swapping the hustle and bustle of Essex for rural Northamptonshire. I instantly loved our new surroundings, and relished life being mum: the world of work seemed a lifetime ago. I soon fell pregnant again, and in September 2014 our little hurricane Henry was born. 

It was when Daisy started school that I started to wonder: logistically, how would I return to the workplace again? Without family close by to help, will the numbers stack up once we’ve paid for childcare? Are my skills, experience and knowledge still relevant? But, just as that particular psychological shift took a while, so has the shift from being a stay-at-home mum to working mum of two. You can find your way back. 

Over time, I briefly flirted with the idea of going freelance, but my heart wasn’t really in it, and with two young children, there were just never enough hours in the day. And so an acute lack of confidence started to creep in. But (and this is where the sisterhood really comes into its own), over lots of coffee, wine and conversation with some brilliant women I’m proud to call friends, I realised the following:

• I still have those skills, I’m just not using them at this moment.
• I am capable and intelligent.
• My kids won’t hate me for returning to work.
• Sometimes, you just have to jump in and see what happens. 

And so I did! 

The opportunity to work with Helen and the team at 9-2-3 came up, and I knew it was too good to miss. Working flexibly, over three days with some home-working, has allowed me to roll up my sleeves and get stuck into a job that is varied and interesting. 

First day nerves

For us mums, the return to work can be nerve-wracking and overwhelming. However, I couldn’t have asked for a better first day back. The team were welcoming, friendly, and inspiring. There was hot coffee and chocolate, and I even managed to set up a gmail account! From chatting to other mums in a similar situation, I know that a fear of technology is something many struggle with when contemplating their return to work. I can honestly say that it hasn’t been an issue. Your standard office and email systems are all pretty intuitive, and they really don’t change that much, regardless of how many years it’s been since you last set up your out of office. Importantly, if you’re unsure, it’s OK to say, “I need help!”. Even if you do make a mistake, or get in a muddle, it’s rarely a disaster and there’s always some support available. I’ve managed to get to grips with a database that I’ve never used before and navigate MSOffice without too much drama - proving to myself that full-time motherhood had not rendered me completely useless! In fact, it’s the ability to juggle and project manage a dozen things at once (a daily requirement with children and a household to run) which makes mums and dads returning to the workplace so valuable. We’re not phased by much, and know that given an hour or two, we can blitz whatever is in front of us!

Driving home from the office that day, I felt exhilarated and so grateful for the opportunity to be working again. Job hunting can feel depressing when everything is the standard full-time, 9-5 gig. It excludes so many talented, enthusiastic, and skilled individuals. A few months ago, I was beginning to feel a little defeated as I knew those hours and rigid approach to working wouldn’t fit in with my family life.

I’ve now been back at work for a month, and it has been fabulous. I love using my brain in a different way and have realised that those skills from my ‘previous life’ in PR are still there; a little rusty maybe, but alive and kicking nonetheless! Returning to work has given my self-esteem a huge boost, and I can still take my children to school and pre-school. I was able to attend Daisy’s celebration assembly, and I can even squeeze in the odd early-morning run before I start work for the day. Flexible working has enabled me to contribute ideas, be part of a brilliant team, and champion a cause that I truly believe in. All of this, and I still get to spend enough time with my children for them to drive me slightly nuts - because that’s part of their charm!

Across the UK, professional women and men are waking up to the reality that the traditional 9-5 is not working for everyone.  On 12th September 2018, 9-2-3 Jobs would love you to join us as we launch our National Flexible Working Day. It's a chance to join in with our panel discussions about the benefits of flexible working, see it in action and give you a chance to network with like-minded people and forward-thinking businesses. Register here for the event or join in the conversation online using our hashtag #LetsAllFlexTogetherDay. Share your own journey and pictures on the day across our social media platforms. Help us to really shout about Flexible Working and all its benefits!

#dadsflextoo - A blog by Greg

Written by Greg, dad to two, husband to one...doing the best he can!

I spent last weekend with my family, enjoying the weather ( a lot) and the cut and thrust of Chessington World of Adventures (a lot less...). This weekend, however, I am working late shifts both days and will be home from work long after my two young children have gone to bed. And so it goes with shift work…

When most people hear that I work 6 on, 3 off shifts, they normally comment on working six consecutive days. Usually, it goes something like this:  “You work SIX days per week?! I couldn’t do that.” But it doesn’t take long for people to soften their view. As a result of my shift pattern, I work fewer days per year than someone on a more ‘standard’ Monday to Friday pattern and my leave goes further too. These two revelations get people’s attention but there are other benefits too… 

I’m sitting on my sofa, it’s a Thursday, and in addition to shoehorning in a bit of NETFLIX I have done half the school run, taken my son to his swimming lesson, enjoyed a meal out with my family, helped with homework, read a bedtime story, put the bins out and worked a 7.5 hour shift. Oh, and cobbled together this badly written diatribe... A good example of how you can make shift work...work, and work well. 

I have had a number of jobs over my relatively short working life most of which have maintained what you would call normal business hours, apart from the odd temp job in retail-there is definitely therapy in stacking shelves.

You know when the best time to do almost anything is? On weekdays. Everything is a touch less crowded, which makes the shops nicer, the roads quieter and taking my daughter to the park a little bit more peaceful (sometimes). Admittedly I quite like spending time by myself and also seek quieter environments with my family so perhaps I am a little biased but I find I spend less time in competition with others for space, or jostling for my place in the queue... 

I don’t know how people get to the doctor or dentist or get their car serviced etc when at work during the traditional work pattern, I find an awful lot more flexibility in my work rhythm despite essentially being contracted to the same number of hours a week. These more mundane tasks tend to be far easier to sort with my current regime.

If there is a downside, perhaps sleep patterns are one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I get enough sleep, but the timing can change depending on work. Some people probably benefit from greater routine on that front. Also, the rest of the world arranges many things for the weekend (obviously) which means I can regularly miss them unless I deem them vital enough to take annual leave... 

Work-life balance. I will finish with this as this is what most people strive to achieve when it comes to their lives. I certainly have it and consider myself very lucky as a result and get this, it certainly doesn’t involve a 9-5.