A while back we ran an article on Women’s Agenda about employers that don’t ‘do’ flexibility. Before we published the piece I had a coffee with the author, Kate Mills, who is the former BRW editor (and my former boss) and the founder and chief executive of Professional Mums.
We laughed – mostly in horror – that these same employers that once insisted they were committed to diversity for the purposes of positive press, were now telling Kate – straight-faced and frankly but behind closed doors – that flexibility and part-time aren’t concepts they support. The hypocrisy is revealing. It certainly explains why female representation in the senior ranks of professional organisations remains particularly dismal.
Aside from any mal-intent on the part of some employers Kate and I began discussing another huge barrier that prevents flexibility from being mainstreamed. And that is the lack of understanding about what part-time and flexible work actually mean.
When I started this job I was quite reluctant to tell people that I am working flexibly. My reluctance, in part, stemmed from the fact I wasn’t exactly sure how it would work out. But another reason I didn’t want to divulge my working arrangements was because I was apprehensive about how it would be received. Would I be considered less suitable for the role or less committed? It seems even I had picked up the subliminal message that flexible working is somehow an inferior path.
I have now been doing it long enough to know that none of those things are true or valid. Self-serving as it sounds working flexibly allows me to do a better job than if I was in the office everyday from 8am til 6pm. Working flexibly makes me work smarter because it forces me to structure my week in a particular way. I have to be organised about what tasks can be done when and my focus is always optimising time management.
I can say with confidence that my output isn’t adversely affected by working flexibly. In fact, the opposite is probably true. In some ways the two days I work from home are more productive from an output perspective than my days in the office – without any meetings or distractions – my efficiency and concentration benefit.
I am also discovering the research about the relationship between trust and productivity is true. I really believe I work harder because I can work hard in a manner that suits me and I am grateful that my employer facilitates that: we both win.
I fulfil the requirements of this job around a schedule that allows me to also fulfil the requirements of my personal life. For me, having two small children is the main reason why flexible work suits me at the moment but having kids is not the only reason an employee would need or benefit from flexibility.
I wanted to confess my flexible work arrangements because talking about the different ways jobs can be done is one of the only ways we can turn the old assumptions on their head. Flexible work is not a lark and it is not code for ‘not really working’. It is not restricted to particular roles or seniority levels. It is a smarter way to work – for employers and employees. Only a fool would deny someone the option to fulfil the requirements of a particular job with a degree of flexibility.
Do you work flexibly? How does it play out for you?