Not all the following will apply to you but, depending on the type of flexible working you are considering, here are some of the possible advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of flexible working- Better health
- Less stress
- A sense of control after making a proactive decision
- Better quality of life
- Coping better with non-work responsibilities
- Retaining earning capability
- Less commuting/cheaper transport costs
- More effective time management
- Choice of working patterns
back to top Disadvantages of flexible working- Lower salary if you work fewer hours
- Possible sense of isolation from colleagues
- Loneliness
- Need for a dedicated work space
- Difficulty in judging performance
- Need to be self disciplined and highly organised
- Possible obstacle to promotion
- A sense that you have been forced into it by circumstances not of your choosing
back to top What are the options?You may want to explore some of the ideas presented here so far; use the publications, addresses and websites listed in contacts and resources to find out more, and talk to people about possible changes. Then consider the following questions: - Does flexible working provide a solution to my difficulties or does the solution lie elsewhere?
- Do I need to make one change or several?
- If I need to change a number of things, can I change them all at once or do they need to be staged?
- Can I delegate some of what I do at home or at work?
- Should I give up some of my objectives or activities, or put them off for a while?
- Is there a way back?
- Can options be kept open?
back to top Getting a work-life balanceHave a look at Windmills - where you will find a number of interactive tools and exercises to help you decide whether you have got your life in balance and what you can do to improve your situation. back to top Frequently asked questionsQ: How many hours can I work while studying for my degree? A: There are no legal restrictions on the number of hours UK and European Economic Area (EEA) students aged 18 or over can work while studying. However, some higher education institutions recommend no more than 10 to 15 hours a week during term time. This figure aims to balance financial need and academic workload, so it is not advisable to exceed this limit. Restrictions for non-EEA students depend on what is stamped in your passport. Many non-EEA students can work up to 20 hours a week during term time and more during vacations. UKCISA: UK Council for International Student Affairs, has a useful and regularly updated fact sheet. Q: Will working while studying affect my studies? A: Not necessarily. Weigh up the pros and cons. The pros are: fewer financial worries while you are studying and therefore a more comfortable existence and less debt when you qualify. Remember too that any work you do can help you develop valuable transferable skills that will be useful when you start your career. Employers look for work experience. However, ask yourself if working while studying is going to add to the pressure when you need to meet course deadlines, which may affect your stress levels and your health. Would working also prevent you from taking part in other activities, such as sport or societies? Some students do part-time jobs that do not cut into their study or social life, such as working at weekends, some evenings and/or during the summer vacation. The National Association of Student Employment Services (NASES) provides a helpful information sheet for students who want to combine work and study. Q: Will asking for flexibility be viewed as a lack of commitment or ambition? A: One worry that haunts many high-flying graduates is that asking for flexibility and admitting that home life or other interests are important might be viewed as a sign of lack of commitment or ambition. Put simply, some graduates have felt that to ask to work part time or from home would amount to ‘the death of my career’. A lot depends on the culture of your workplace, business and/or industry. This fear may be justified in some highly competitive areas of work where ambition is expected and a long-hours culture is assumed. In other jobs and careers, where there is an established culture of flexible working, it may make no difference. If you are unsure, try to talk to someone who knows the sector or the organisation in which you work before you make any request. Although some sectors are likely to remain highly resistant to change, it should become easier to raise the subject as flexible working becomes more widespread and as more men take advantage of the opportunities available. If you decide flexible working will only come at a cost to your career progress, ask yourself whether you are willing to pay that cost to get the type of life you want. Work-life balance is about choices and usually requires some element of sacrifice. Working flexibly by changing hours often involves some trade-off between financial rewards and time. In the short term, it is unlikely to make you better off financially. However, some argue that making you a more productive and effective person will increase the financial benefits in the longer term. As yet, there is no research to prove this is the case. Q: What issues might I face when applying for flexible working as a manager? A: Managers face many of the same issues as new graduates: promotion, finances, and the attitudes of their own managers and colleagues. First, it is true that attitudes to managers who job-share are changing at every level. There is now considerable pressure on leaders in business and industry to seriously consider the benefits of flexible working, and government policy increasingly supports the business case for it. The attitude is very much that, unless there is a business case against it, employers should consider implementing flexible working, or at least granting requests as they come in. Some managers may have a statutory right to apply for flexible working, which makes it easier to request, depending on your management role. For example, if you manage large numbers of people, you will have to demonstrate that you will be able to do your job as effectively as if you were working a normal full-time week. Homeworking: Many managers already work from home on a ‘need to’ basis - if they have a report to write or lots of administration to get through. Others have a formal or informal agreement with management that they will work at home one or more days a week. Explore whether this is an option for you and whether it could be put on a more formal footing, or, if it does not occur in your organisation, find examples of it working successfully. Find lots of practical ideas at Homeworking. Flexible or compressed hours: Perhaps you could negotiate working the same number of hours, but at different times of the day or week, or even at weekends. Or arrange to work the same number of hours, but some of them at home. See hours, locations, work patterns, and other flexible working options, for a fuller consideration of the options for managers. Q: I have a young child - can I request flexible working? A: Flexible working has moved steadily up the agenda. You have a statutory right, since 6 April 2009, to apply to work flexibly if you have a child under the age of 16 or a disabled child under 18, or if you act as a carer. Your employer must agree to your request unless they can demonstrate that it would adversely affect the business or incur a great deal of expense. Some degree of negotiation may be necessary. For many parents, given the choice, the option to work flexibly makes sense. Although a parent may need to work flexibly, two issues may weigh against it. First, the work culture: if the organisation’s product or service calls for very strict deadlines to be met, parents who are allowed to work flexibly may be missing at times of particular pressure and this could cause resentment among the rest of the workforce. In these circumstances, the worker requesting flexible hours should discuss these matters carefully with their manager or someone in authority who could advise. Similarly, if the workplace is fiercely competitive and fast moving, as in the City, for example, parent workers who go home when others are still working may not receive the same recognition and rewards as their colleagues who work the long hours so common in City firms. Ideas and advice are available at Working Families. Q: What problems might I face if I choose a flexible working pattern? - It may be difficult to find an appropriate employer/position if you have decided on a flexible pattern prior to jobhunting.
- There is a possible or perceived risk to promotion prospects, although in many industries flexible working is no longer seen as barrier to promotion.
- You may face distrust from colleagues, especially if some of your time is home based.
- Keeping to contractual hours, which may require considerable self discipline, can be a challenge.
- You may encounter problems in ensuring your workload fits your contractual hours and that senior management does not overestimate what can be achieved in the timeframe.
- Time management, for example scheduling meetings for when you are in the office, may cause difficulties with other staff who feel their time is being arranged around your needs.
- Working as part of a team may be difficult to achieve if you do not work the same hours as other team members.
- If you jobshare, developing an effective working relationship with your jobshare partner may be challenging if their approach to work differs from your own.
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