Has anyone really experienced a family-friendly workplace?

[beachgurl]

I work for a company that has won industry awards for its employment for women and flexible working arrangements. However my request to work a 4 day week has been rejected, along with the flexibility to leave at a reasonable hour a few days a week to do the daycare pickups. Needless to say I am handing in my resignation tomorrow. I'm really disappointed that I can't have my career and my family. Yes I know it's my choice to have children but it sucks that my workplace has made me choose. My boss is probably going to get a shock when I resign but really, when having to make that choice, what would most people choose?

Anyone else requested flexible work arrangements? Did you have success? I feel that the whole "working opportunities for mums" spiel is just words. So I guess no more properties for us for a while. But on the upside I'll soon be able to see my kids for more than an hour each night.

 

[Rolf Latham]

I work for a company that has won industry awards for its employment for women and flexible working arrangements. However my request to work a 4 day week has been rejected, along with the flexibility to leave at a reasonable hour a few days a week to do the daycare pickups. Needless to say I am handing in my resignation tomorrow. I'm really disappointed that I can't have my career and my family. Yes I know it's my choice to have children but it sucks that my workplace has made me choose. My boss is probably going to get a shock when I resign but really, when having to make that choice, what would most people choose?

Anyone else requested flexible work arrangements? Did you have success? I feel that the whole "working opportunities for mums" spiel is just words. So I guess no more properties for us for a while. But on the upside I'll soon be able to see my kids for more than an hour each night.

we REALLY try and make all accomodations possible, and to be fair,its really been a win win for us

Many businesses cant do the flex thing, but the loyalty and work throughput you get from the flexed staff is great

ta
rolf

 

[Aaron_C]

Well to be fair to your employer they are paying you to work when they want you to. If you could work whenever it suited you and that happened to be the time when you are needed at work - why would you be employed in the first place? It all starts at the employer.

 

[monalisa]

I work for a company that has won industry awards for its employment for women and flexible working arrangements. However my request to work a 4 day week has been rejected, along with the flexibility to leave at a reasonable hour a few days a week to do the daycare pickups. Needless to say I am handing in my resignation tomorrow. I'm really disappointed that I can't have my career and my family. Yes I know it's my choice to have children but it sucks that my workplace has made me choose. My boss is probably going to get a shock when I resign but really, when having to make that choice, what would most people choose?

Anyone else requested flexible work arrangements? Did you have success? I feel that the whole "working opportunities for mums" spiel is just words. So I guess no more properties for us for a while. But on the upside I'll soon be able to see my kids for more than an hour each night.

Beachgurl, sorry to hear it has been difficult to get the flexibility you desire.

I work for a large accounting firm, and they seem to be very flexible - a lot of the young mothers work either part time, work from home, come in early/leave early, or work nine day fortnights.

 

[monalisa]

Well to be fair to your employer they are paying you to work when they want you to. If you could work whenever it suited you and that happened to be the time when you are needed at work - why would you be employed in the first place? It all starts at the employer.

That is true, but what if you delivered all that was required. Then again, this depends on the role.

 

[Peter_Tersteeg]

I agree with Rolf. Not every business is in a position to provide the flexibility, but where it can be done it can really pay off.

My PA tends to use up her leave as soon as she accumulates it. She likes to go to her kids school events, or will need to take time off during school holidays. On the other hand I'd be happy for her to increase her hours, not reduce them; I don't mind if she takes days off on an add-hoc basis, I just don't want her to go to 4 days a week.

Simple solution. She gives me a little extra time several days a week (which is a big help) and I give her an RDO each month. I can do without her from time to time, but sometimes the extra bit at the end of the day makes all the difference to what we get done. It's worked very well for both of us.

The philosophy is simple, when one of us needs something, we simply talk it through and do our best to work out a win-win solution. She's actually had job offers on a higher salary and turned them down. I think I've very lucky to have her

 

[Aaron_C]

I work for a large accounting firm, and they seem to be very flexible - a lot of the young mothers work either part time, work from home, come in early/leave early, or work nine day fortnights.

I used to work in Government where this was a commonplace thing. Very annoying when you needed to get things done. Luckily in the Government not much was done in the first place - I can only imagine the annoyance would be greatly magnified in private, time-billing practice like an accounting or law firm.

 

[INVSTOR]

My employers are fantastic!! They are really flexible. They even let my hubby bring the kids in and they showed them around the office so they could see where I work. It's my first job since having kids (had a 12 year break), so I'm so glad it's all working so well. I really respect them and enjoy working hard for them.

 

[weg]

Well to be fair to your employer they are paying you to work when they want you to. If you could work whenever it suited you and that happened to be the time when you are needed at work - why would you be employed in the first place? It all starts at the employer.

My husband has been family and sport friendly with his all male employees (has employed 1 national level and 4 state level sportsmen) and it's paid off in every case, ie. almost no sick leave, increased loyalty and appreciation for the job, increased preparedness to go beyond their duties, etc.

Naturally you would only accomodate it if it was not disruptive your business - you have adequate notice, other staff able to swap days/hours with, able to take work home or complete at another time.

 

[Rolf Latham]

I agree with Rolf. Not every business is in a position to provide the flexibility, but where it can be done it can really pay off.

My PA tends to use up her leave as soon as she accumulates it. She likes to go to her kids school events, or will need to take time off during school holidays. On the other hand I'd be happy for her to increase her hours, not reduce them; I don't mind if she takes days off on an add-hoc basis, I just don't want her to go to 4 days a week.

Simple solution. She gives me a little extra time several days a week (which is a big help) and I give her an RDO each month. I can do without her from time to time, but sometimes the extra bit at the end of the day makes all the difference to what we get done. It's worked very well for both of us.

The philosophy is simple, when one of us needs something, we simply talk it through and do our best to work out a win-win solution. She's actually had job offers on a higher salary and turned them down. I think I've very lucky to have her

TSK TSK wait till the Union hears that you have made arrangements without them : )


ta
rolf

 

[china]

Small businesses with only one or two employees cannot afford to be flexible both from a financial and operational viewpoint.

 

[Truly Exotic]

Talk about a sense of entitlement!

Quitting because you can't get four days per week PlUS a few hours per day off to pick/drop your offspring?

I suppose you asked for no cut in pay as well, maybe a pay rise?

Let me guess, gen Y?

I might hand in my resignation tomorrow if my request for a 50% pay rise plus 1 day per week work is rejected, along with them moving their office to within 5 mins walking distance from my home

 

[Rolf Latham]

Small businesses with only one or two employees cannot afford to be flexible both from a financial and operational viewpoint.

agreed, but I think thats not the case here, and it does depend on the style of business too!

We have 4 staff, 2 FTE, and 2 that job share a FTE role, and while on the one hand its less than ideal for a client to have 2 file owners, and it does cost us efficiency and thus margin, even as a small employer, if you can carry it, I believe you have a responseability to the same society that helps you make a living in the first place.

ta
rolf

 

[beachgurl]

Oh harsh comments

Gen X actually. The reason I'm quitting is that the daycare pickup arrangement I had has recently been overturned along with the demand I work longer hours. I log on after hours and pull my weight. I'd be fine with a pay cut and a demotion if necessary. I don't need to work full time, I enjoy working. Just disappointing when at interview stagei was advised that part time could be an option down the track. Totally understand with small business but my workplace is at the opposite end of the spectrum. I'm not moving off the face of the earth on the 5th day. Request to be available via phone or blackberry would be fine.

 

[devank]

Quitting because you can't get four days per week PlUS a few hours per day off to pick/drop your offspring?

What is wrong with quitting a job if it doesn't suit your lifestyle? But why do you want to resign before finding a job?

We were in similar situation few years back. My wife moved to a council job (IT related) thinking it would be flexible with kids. It wasn't the case. So she moved to one of the largest international pharmaceutical company where she got much better pay (40% more) and more flexibility. Everything is fine as long as she gets the work done. Very often she has to make conference calls after 10pm but that comes with the package.

I guess what I'm saying is you can find a positioned which suits your life style.

 

[beachgurl]

Hubby goes back to work in a few weeks after taking 6 months off. I wasn't entitled to maternity leave so he took parental leave. Not fair to him to go back full time and have to be fully responsible for the kids at night too. Parenting is a shared business.

 

[The Y-man]

Become a paid-by-the-hour contractor.

The employers are happy to see you for as few hours as possible if the work gets done.

The Y-man

 

[pennyk]

i think my workplace is reasonably family friendly. most of our staff are on the road, and that means theres some flexibility to make appointments on the way to and from work, so you are not always in the office and people dont know what time you start and finish. I work from home full time now which has enabled me to manage sickness much more easily....... I can have a nap if needed. but I do try to send an email fairly early in the morning, or later in the afternoon/ email, so people know I'm working.
But, under normail circumstances I would travel more regularly than I am at the moment -- probably overseas 6 times a year or so... which is not particularly family friendly!! but when I was asked to go to Germany a few years ago for 2 months, they paid for the whole family to join me - travel, accommodation and food! Christmas in Europe, and we came home iwht more money than we left with!

 

[wobbycarly]

Our company offers "flexible working hours" (depending on role) and it's fanTAStic!

I was already working well beyond 5pm, and now I work roughly the same daily hours, but get every 2nd Friday off. Not sure what will happen now that we've been recently purchased by a much larger company, but I'll take it while I can!

 

[boomtown]

From the other perspective people who work 4 days a week often expect to work 4 days a week when everyone around them are really working 7 days a week.

The part timers are never there at 2am to pick up the pieces when it all goes to ****. They knock off at 6pm even on their "on" days.

And that can be very frustrating for those that are stuck doing their own job and half of someone else's.

Sometimes the industry is just not set up to be family friendly for senior roles with operational responsibility and there is very little an employer can do to change that. As an extreme example it's no good saying you don't work Fridays if you have a coal mine that has shut down due to a problem - its all hands on deck immediately because you are losing millions per hour.

The best thing to do is to move industries or move away from roles that deal with things that are urgent even if that is where the money is.