100 Ways to Work Flexibly

Throughout life there are many competing demands on our time which can make balancing them with work seem challenging. Whether it’s caring for young children or elderly relatives, upskilling, dealing with a health issue or pursuing a personal passion. Sometimes it’s the demands of a second job.

‘100 ways to work flexibly’ is about the Women’s Business Council showcasing the myriad of flexible, dynamic and agile working patterns that can help make that balance possible. So that there’s better awareness of all the different options available.

That’s why ‘100 ways to work flexibly’ is telling the stories of men and women of different ages and backgrounds. People who have found a way to work which is right for them, and their employer.

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Please note: These case studies were correct at the time they were originally published on the WBC website. People’s roles, employers and flexible working patterns may have changed since then.

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Types of flexible working

Flexitime

Choosing when to start and end work (within agreed limits) but with certain ‘core hours’, for example, 10am to 4pm every day.

Part time

Working less than full-time hours (usually by working fewer days).

Compressed hours

Working full-time hours but over fewer days.

Working from home and remote working

It might be possible to do some, or all, of the work from home or anywhere else other than the normal place of work.

Annualised hours

Working a certain number of hours over the year but having some flexibility about when you work. For this pattern, there are sometimes ‘core hours’, but the rest of the hours are worked flexibly or when there’s extra demand at work. Please see below for examples of this working pattern in action.

Job share and job split

Two people do one job and split the hours, or one job is split into 2 components which 2 different people take forward. For this pattern, when a job is split, each of the 2 work streams can constitute a full-time or part-time position. Please see below for examples of this working pattern in action.

Term-time working and full-time part year

Working a particular number of weeks per year on either a full or part-time basis. For this pattern, non-working time is generally scheduled at regular, planned periods which are accounted for by a combination of annual leave and unpaid leave. Designated working weeks will normally coincide with busy periods for the business, school terms or Parliamentary sitting periods. Please see below for examples of this working pattern in action.

Staggered hours

Having different start, finish and break times from other workers.

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Case studies

Sara Abbonizio

Policy Lead, Women’s Leadership
Employer: Civil Service, Cabinet Office
Sector: Public sector

Flexible working pattern: Term-time working and full-time part year

I work full-time, but there are 2 weeks a year I don’t work. I take these in August when both Houses of Commons and Lords are typically on recess, so it’s generally a quieter period for my team. This pattern means our family can spend dedicated time together over the summer and also that my partner and I can cover most of the school holidays between us. We don’t have any family living nearby, so this is important to us. My working week involves working from home 2 days a week when I can be around for school drop-off and pick-up and also that all important contact with parents and teachers.

My partner works a similar pattern, so we only need childcare for one day a week. The key to making this pattern work is good communication, organisation and the technology that’s available today. I submitted a business case after thinking through the requirements on the work and home front and then discussing these with my manager. There’s inevitably a period of adjustment with a new pattern, but these challenges can be worked through in a collaborative environment and the benefits are significant. I feel lucky to have a pattern that enables me to do a rewarding job, while not missing out on quality time with my children as they grow up.

Neil Alexander

Enterprise Architect, Technology
Employer: Royal Bank Scotland
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Compressed hours

I work full time but I compress my hours into 9 working days each fortnight. I spend every other Monday looking after my 2 children, ages 5 and 1. I also work 2 days a week from home.

After the birth of our first child my wife wanted to get back to work, so we decided it would be good if he wasn’t in nursery 5 full days a week. Working compressed hours allowed me to have some time with him on my own. And it meant one less day of nursery fees!

I spend more time with my 2 kids and have an even better bond with them. Working from home makes it easier for us to balance commuting with the need for nursery pickups – whoever is at home is only 10 minutes away from nursery, rather than 45. My wife also does the same pattern which means that if we need to be in the office on what should be our off days we can swap which allows us to flex to the business needs as well as our own.

With the help of flexible working I can perform my role in a way that provides me with a much better work life balance, without getting in the way of doing the job.I work with 1 other person who uses flexible working but by making sure we spend the same days in the office and plan our face to face activities around them we don’t tend to have any issues.

In terms of working at home I find that there are days that it would benefit me to be in the office rather than at home which means I either swap days or spend more days in the office. The biggest challenge there is making sure we have cover for nursery pickups and that I can book a desk in the office. My line manager was very supportive. When I first started this pattern it was on a 6 month trial to allow me or them to change our minds. 5 years later and no one seems to notice that I’m not around once a fortnight.

Sarah Anderson

Director, Audit Services and Governance
Employer: Deloitte
Sector: Professional services

Flexible working pattern: Part time

As a single parent, I have worked flexibly – 3-4 days a week, over the last 17 years. When my children grew older, I wanted to use agile working to start volunteering so I decided to volunteer with Pets as Therapy, with my own dog – Maggie.

The charity certifies therapy dogs and helps people to share their pets with people in need. Thanks to my flexibility, I can commit to weekly volunteering sessions with Maggie, giving the vulnerable people I meet a stable routine.

Stuart Anderson

Senior Risk Manager
Employer: Royal Bank Scotland
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working

I work Mon – Thurs – 7am – 5pm – a combination of working on-site and at home. I decided to work flexibly to spend more time with my young children, reduce childcare / travel costs and to rethink my approach to work/personal life. The benefits of this working pattern are being able to be part of taking and picking up my children to nursery and school. These are special moments and the child you interact with in the morning / afternoon versus the one when you arrive home late from work can be very different. Fun Friday’s in our house are always a hit.

The ability to work from home when your day doesn’t merit a trip into the office is extremely helpful in helping you be more efficient, reducing the stress of public transport and giving you some more time back in the evening. The challenge I’ve had with this working pattern is rethinking how I plan my working week. I’ve had to beef up my prioritisation skills to ensure I make the most of my 4 days in the office. Equally, disciplining myself to switch off on a Friday and focus my energy on my time with my children.

My employer/line manager has supported me by firstly embracing the idea and allowing me to demonstrate that it would not have any detrimental impact on my performance. It’s had the opposite effect as I now feel like I am more productive and happier when I am at work as I’m not making any significant trade offs at home to further my career.

Ramani Armstrong

Associate
Employer: Atkins
Sector: Professional scientific and technical activities

Flexible working pattern: Part time

Ramani works within the Atkins London structural engineering team, with responsibilities across design, delivery and new business development. Since joining the company she has delivered a number of technically complex jobs, typically leading the structural design of several £50-£100m projects in parallel. She is also Atkins’ Structural Lead for the education sector in London, in which capacity she has established strong client relationships and won new business across numerous major frameworks. She also leads the team’s Apprenticeship Programme, where her initiatives have mentored and inspired the next generation of engineering talent. Ramani has 2 children, and works part time in order to spend some of the working week with them. She was initially hired, and subsequently promoted, on a part-time basis.

Jonathan Aspinwall

Deputy Editor, BBC Breakfast
Employer: BBC Breakfast
Sector: Media and entertainment, creative

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split

I do a job share with the other Deputy Editor on BBC Breakfast. We work ‘set’ days, we’re on call and we’re also flexible when there’s breaking news.

We adopted 2 children and it has given me crucial time to get them settled into our family and support them during a key time in their development. I’m having a go at writing a TV drama script and I’m able to spend more time with my Dad who has been ill.

As for our job share, our boss gets 2 perspectives for roughly the price of one role! The work / life balance means that we spend more time in our communities – we can bring back audience insights, which helps the programme. We’re less stressed, more focused and more efficient at our jobs.

Joanne Austin

Financial Crime Risk Assurance Manager
Employer: HSBC UK
Sector: Finance

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, working from home and remote working, compressed hours

I care for 5 of my closest family members aged between 19 and 79 and who all have different disabilities/illness and needs. My caring role involves facilitating appointments, managing all of my families’ affairs, providing emotional support, dealing with education and healthcare providers and supporting with personal care.

I work a nine-day condensed fortnight which basically means I fit 2 weeks’ worth of hours into 9 days and have a day off once a fortnight. In addition, when appointments arise I sometimes start early in the morning, take the required break during the day and then work late. I also work from home up to 3 days a week which makes a considerable positive difference to my well-being.

There are 2 main reasons why I work from home – it enables me to juggle appointments as my travelling time is minimised by being at home and it also helps me to manage my epilepsy by ensuring I get enough sleep.

Flexible working has its benefits from a work perspective too. I sometimes work with colleagues based in other jurisdictions so I can have calls with them at what would traditionally be classed as unsociable hours. It also enables me to work at quieter times of day and get more done.

I am very grateful for the support I receive from HSBC UK. They provide me with the opportunity to pursue a career together by working flexibly to provide the care and support required by my family. My team are very supportive, there’s always someone to have a coffee and a chat with and to make me laugh, even when things are really difficult. My line manager is equally supportive helping me to manage my workload, giving me a different perspective of things and just being there when I need him. Working at HSBC UK has made a huge difference to my wellbeing and that of my family.

Elizabeth Bailey

Employer: Barclays
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working

I’ve been extremely impressed at Barclays’ approach and commitment to Dynamic Working, and in return it’s meant I’m highly motivated and committed to Barclays for the long term.

Nicola Balfour

People Manager
Employer: Greggs
Sector: Retail

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime

My son recently started school and it came at a time when my partner was working away. It was very important for me to be able to do both drop off and pick up whilst he settled into a new routine.

For a 2-3 week period I flexed my working hours to be able to do this, I was in the office during school hours, I was able to spend some time with my son after school and then after he went to bed I was able to get on with work. Knowing I had the flexibility to do this at such an important point in his life was fantastic and I’m hugely appreciative of the support I got to do this.

Kate Bassett

Head of Content
Employer: Management Today
Sector: Publishing

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working, part time

As Management Today’s head of content, I spend 2.5 days a week directing our editorial strategy, writing features, and heading up the brand’s main annual campaigns ranging from 35 Women Under 35 to Britain’s Most Admired Companies. I also chair and co-produce Management Today’s Inspiring Women in Business and Young Women in Business conferences. I work flexibly – either from Haymarket’s HQ in Twickenham or from home.

Alongside my job at Management Today, I’m a freelance writer and am frequently invited to host business events up and down the country. This flexible, “”multi-hyphen career”” gives me the freedom to juggle lots of different projects and spend quality time with our 2 little girls, India and Edith.

Sarah Bastajian

Director
Employer: Willmott Dixon
Sector: Construction

Flexible working pattern: Part time

My husband also works for Willmott Dixon and was keen to have time at home with the children. We decided to ask to have alternate Mondays off. It works really well, the twins get the best of both of us and we get equal time with them.

My husband, who is a building manager, was a bit nervous about proposing dropping a day a fortnight. He put it to his boss that if he was off on holiday his construction manager would need to cover for him. He needn’t have worried, though, he said it was the easiest conversation he ever had. I knew that my boss would say yes because I was already working 4 days a week. The arrangement would mean I was doing one day a fortnight more.

As my job is office-based and my husband is on site I am more flexible during the week which means it is easier for me to do drop-offs and pick-ups of children as I can pick up work in the evenings if I need to.

Both of us share time off for sick children, based on whose diary is the busiest at the time.

Sue-Beaumont Staite

Senior Policy Advisor
Employer: Civil Service, Cabinet Office
Sector: Public sector

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split

Since the birth of my first child in 2008 I have been able to balance a career I am passionate about with spending quality time with my family by taking advantage of job sharing, a form of flexible working which I think is still underutilised yet has enormous benefits for both the employer and the employee.

I have worked with 2 different job share partners and both times I have been able to work the first 3 days of the working week with my job share partner working the later 3 days. This enabled us to have a ‘cross-over’ day in the office where we could catch up and discuss work priorities.

As a working mum with a long commute I found working as a job share not only meant that I wasn’t coming back into work at the start of the week to an overwhelming inbox but it also enriched the work I delivered and my job satisfaction – there is truth in the old adage that ‘2 heads are better than one’. In both of my job share roles I have enjoyed being able to bounce ideas off someone else and take on board any differing perspectives and ideas they might have. It definitely improved our productivity, creativity and commitment to success in that role. It also enabled us to balance a stretching job with caring commitments.

Jonathan Beckett

Reporting Lead and Product Owner
Employer: Royal Bank of Scotland
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Compressed hours

I work compressed hours, taking a Tuesday as my non-working day. The 4 days that I do work I split between the office (Gogarburn) and Home.

I took the decision to work flexibly when my daughter was born as I wanted to play an active role in her child care. Compressed hours offered me the ideal balance between playing an active part in her care while also continuing to progress in my roles within the bank.

On a personal level I get to spend the day with my daughter which is fantastic. From a business perspective I’ve found that I have learned how best to effectively use my time.

Overall the number of challenges has been very small. The main one was when a meeting or event was on a Tuesday when I was scheduled to be compressed, however this was easy to overcome as on these occasions I would move my non-working day. The ability to log on from home is also great as it means that I can login early in the morning or at night to make sure that I get everything done.

It’s all about compromise, I value the flexibility that RBS gives me so I’m happy to be flexible as well to make sure that the job gets done and done well.

RBS is leading the way in terms of supporting flexible working both in terms of compressed hours and also working from home. I’ve watched flexible working grow over the years and I think this is fantastic for both the business and the staff.

Steve Beswick

Business Development Director for Surface in Education (EMEA)
Employer: Microsoft
Sector: IT, tech

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime

In 2009 after 15 years at Microsoft I was offered a sabbatical from work for 3 months. This was a reward for tenure at Microsoft, plus also performance levels being high. Microsoft offered this with full pay and rewards. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have this much time off work so I planned a trip around the world with my 18 year old daughter. Ten years on we still talk about the adventure we had and places we visited. Not many Dads could do this with their children and I am eternally grateful to Microsoft for giving me this opportunity. It was a great way of saying thank you for the work I have done.

Today, I have just been appointed to a senior volunteering role which will require 15 days of my time a year. Working closely with my manager and HR I have agreed a flexible work pattern to accommodate these days. With technology now work can happen anywhere and at any time. Technology along with flexible rules from my employer on work patterns allows me to use my skills in a very different way for a very good cause.

Paddy Boyle

Global Head of Forexclear
Employer: LCH
Sector: Financial services

Flexible working pattern: Part time

Paddy was clear when he joined LCH that full-time was not an option. As Global Head of ForexClear, he has a varied role, which includes widening understanding of what clearing houses do. He is responsible for hiring and developing a strong leadership team, and leads a department offering industry-leading risk management for currency trades. He also promotes ForexClear at conferences and seminars, and by engaging with thought leaders. Paddy became part-time to support his wife when she returned to work after a career break. He is keen that his colleagues benefit from his experiences and works with his HR partners to support the development of flexible working arrangements.

Rachel Bridges

Diagnostic Radiographer
Employer: Allied Health Professionals
Sector: Health

Flexible working pattern: Part time

Throughout my returning to practice training I was able to complete my required hours by doing 3 days a week. The department was very supportive and flexible in allowing me to work which days suited me best. Upon starting back work officially as a Diagnostic Radiographer the department again was happy for me to undertake 3 days a week work which suited me and my husband. My husband was able to plan out his working days around when I was due to work, so when he had his days off I was at work and vice versa.

My family was also very supportive and helped with childcare whenever we needed it. It was tricky at first and initially I had my reservations that it would work but 3 years on and it’s worked out great. I’m now slowly building up to full time hours with both my children starting full time at school, it has become a lot easier.

If you are considering returning to practice, I’d say go for it! It’s not as difficult as you imagine it to be and don’t be afraid to contact people to ask for help to get started. I found a return to practice radiography course which included clinical placements at nearby University Hospital Leicester. It will be nerve-racking when you first start back but that will pass and it’s well worth it in the end!

Charlotte Budd

Director
Employer: Freuds
Sector: PR and communications

Flexible working pattern: Part time

My husband and I share communications with the school so that it’s not just one parent doing all the school admin.

I’m on the class WhatsApp group and PTA facebook page which includes all info about social, extra-curricular and fundraising activities. My husband gets ‘parent mail’ which is the official communications channel of the school.

We discuss and share what we learn but by dividing up the channels we both handle different parts of administration and can be more agile at work around parenting/school commitments.

Louise Byrne

Vice President of Global Talent
Employer: InterContinental Hotels Group
Sector: Hospitality

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working Part time

Since having my children, I’ve always worked part-time – at first this was 3 days a week, then when they started school I did 5 days around school hours and now it’s 4 with one of these days from home. My partner works in a demanding role with a longer commute meaning it’s hard for him to be able to share the childcare responsibilities. Having this flexibility has enabled me to be there for my boys at key times, to do pick up and drop off at school and have playdates. It’s also enabled me to focus on passions that I have – running, playing tennis, cooking, renovating the house… I feel I can be the mum, partner and friend that I want to be.

My team are based all over the world – Shanghai, Atlanta, Singapore, Bangkok, London. So whether I’m in the office on skype or at home makes little difference. I’m proud that we’ve been able to offer flexibility throughout the team with 30% of my leadership team working less than 5-day week and all colleagues having the opportunity to flex where and when they work. Being open-minded about hours and location of roles has enabled me to attract and retain top talent that if we’d been more rigid, we wouldn’t have access to.

Working for a company (and a boss) who values output and not input is key – having trust, strong relationships and being willing to be flexible on both sides is critical. Whilst I’ve been part-time I’ve been promoted and my role keeps getting expanded – IHG has never seen my flexible working as a barrier to career progression.

Mark Campbell

Employer: Barclays
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Compressed hours

I now work compressed hours of 5 days in 4, working 8 to 6. This gives me a day off during the week to spend some real quality time with my family and care for my wife.

Helen Chadwick

Business Partner
Employer: Kantar
Sector: Professional services

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, working from home and remote working

A year ago my manager presented me with an opportunity to take on a promotion, the role of Business Partner, primarily based in our London head office some distance from my home in the North West.

A key consideration for me at the time was how to keep a balance between home and work life, but also ensure that I could give everything to the role, with the additional travel commitments.

I have been working in this role for 8 months now and absolutely find that I can balance work and home life quite comfortably. The use of Skype video for business on my home-working days ensures that I can be ‘present’ in every meeting, and continue to build strong relationships from a distance.

Without the opportunity to work flexibly, I wouldn’t have been able to progress within the company without considering a relocation.

Angela Chan

Head of Creative Diversity & Special Projects
Employer: Channel 4
Pattern worked: 4 days a week

Flexible working pattern: Annualised hours, part time

In her role as Head of Creative Diversity, Angela leads a team with responsibility for ensuring Channel 4’s programmes reflect the diversity of the audience, as well as advocating for more diversity in the creative industries as a whole. She and her colleagues work within the channel’s creative commissioning team to find and break new onscreen talent, boost underrepresented talent within the industry and advise independent producers on getting diversity right. She is also Head of Special Projects, using her experience in innovation and organisational change to deliver exciting new opportunities. Angela works 4 days per week in order to balance her career with her family and her studies. She is currently completing an Executive MBA with Ashridge Hult.

Catherine Chapman

Legal Assessor & Trainer
Employer: CILEx Law School
Sector: Education (legal)

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, working from home and remote working, part time

I requested a 4-day working pattern – Monday to Thursday – which my employer agreed to, in line with their flexible working policy. I’m also home-based, as are most of my team colleagues, because we are located all over England. The nature of our work means that we can do our jobs effectively with just a laptop and phone. We have monthly team Skype calls and quarterly meetings at our head office or regional locations, which is a good opportunity to catch up.

Although my job entails frequent visits to clients, I manage my own diary, so I can schedule visits to avoid rush hour. This makes for less stressful travelling, cheaper off-peak fares (a saving for my employer!) and just as important – I can often be back home in time for when my youngest son returns from school. I also value the fact that when I am at home, I can fit in some domestic chores, and am much more efficient in getting things done, as there are fewer distractions, i.e. no one to chat to in the office!

I probably wouldn’t have chosen to work from home if I was younger and at the start of my career, because of the lack of social interaction, but now that my children are teenagers, this pattern suits me and our family life very well.

Samantha Clarke

Chief Executive
Employer: Canadian Portland
Sector: Real estate

Flexible working pattern: Part time

When I first fell pregnant, I had started to reap the rewards of 5 years of study to qualify as a chartered surveyor and working through a deep recession. I did not want to give up my career, but also could not see how I could balance my job with a new family, as I worked long hours in London.

My employers agreed that I could return on a 3 day week. I found this stressful however, as there was an expectation to complete the work of 5 days in 3 and I got calls from the office on my days off. Overnight trips proved difficult, especially if my child was sick.

An opportunity arose within a new property company based at home. I was clear about my working days – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays – this pattern meant that if I was ever needed by the office on a non-working day – I would always be in the office tomorrow. The pattern also made managing matters at home easier, as I was never working 2 days in a row, and could accommodate parent consultations, sports days and performances. This arrangement worked well for 18 years. During this time I had 2 further children with maternity leave, became Company Secretary, a Director and finally Chief Executive! Now my children are much older, I flex my working days more.

These 2 different environments taught me the need for an agreed working structure, mutual respect for it, and realistic expectations of what can be achieved. When all of these are present, combining a career and family is hugely rewarding and confidence boosting. Whilst there have been situations where my family time has been compromised, these are far outweighed by the financial benefit of working, which all of the family members benefit from.

Marshall Clements

Production Management Trainee
Employer: Willmott Dixon
Sector: Construction

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime

Basically my wife works 3 long days a week. My son, Elliott, does 2 days at nursery (Monday and Friday) and one with his grandparents (Thursday). On Monday and Friday my wife drops my son to nursery, and I pick him up at 4pm – the time I leave site depends on the site location. On these days I cook the family dinner and bath Elliot. On Thursdays I drop off my son at his grandparent’s house for 8am and then head to site.

The site teams I work with are all aware of my flexible working arrangements and we have early morning and late working rotas in place, as well as site induction rotas. On my first site placement, all 3 Building Managers used flexible working to help support them with childcare arrangements.

My working pattern means I have to be organised with the scheduling of meetings, and I make sure I have completed everything I need to before the end of the day. I find I am more focused during the day, regarding daily duties on site etc.

If I couldn’t be flexible with my working hours my son would spend nearly eleven hours in nursery. Being able to work in the way I do, has enabled me to spend more time with my son and has improved our bond no end. It has also enabled us to have dinner as a family and spend some great quality time together.

Caitlin Cockerton

Director
Employer: ?What If! Innovation
Sector: Professional services

Flexible working pattern: Annualised hours Part time

I’ve worked flexibly on 2 models for the last 18 months, following my return to work after having my daughter. The first model – 4 days a week, Monday to Thursday – enabled me to dive back into work in a nearly-full time capacity while keeping 1 day a week to have dedicated time with my child. In the 15 months I worked on this model, I accelerated my career and earned a promotion, which was great. I at times worked more than 4 days per week and probably didn’t get the financial compensation for this ‘extra time’.

In my new role as a director, I was keen to find a model that appreciated the true nature of our business – demanding full time work at times, but then also having some calmer periods. My new model is 180 days per year (equivalent to 3.5 days/week pro rata), worked flexibly – sometimes working 4 or 5 days a week when the demand is high, but also retaining the time I’m owed back, either by working 2 or 3 days some weeks, or by taking chunks of time off.

This new model is an experiment for me and for the organisation and no one else at this level works on such a model so, we’ll see how it goes!

Michael Tunde Cockshott

UX manager
Employer: Royal Bank Scotland
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working

My work is based in the RBS headquarters on the outside of Edinburgh at Gogarburn. I live in the southside of Glasgow. I work 3 days a week in the Edinburgh office and 2 from home. My commute to work can be between 3 and 4 hours a day. This means I am not in at the start and end of my daughter’s school day. My 17 year old daughter has special needs and at the start and ends of the day she needs a lot of support. I need to be home when she returns from after school the days my wife works late. She needs full-time care and the days I am not commuting I dress, feed her and get her ready for school and cook her evening meal and feed and get her ready for bed. The days I am working, my wife has to do all the start of the day caring and I get in towards the end of my daughter’s day.

This arrangement allows me and my wife to share the caring, and gives me more time with my daughter and son. I have not really experienced any significant challenges; most of my work is on the phone with others in other offices and even when I am working with Edinburgh staff we often meet via the phone or video conferencing.

My line manager has been very supportive and understanding of my situation, for example she supports me when I have to attend clinics with my daughter or all agency meetings about her future. She goes beyond just support and enquires as to how my daughter is – I feel she and my employer genuinely care about having an inclusive workforce and supporting those that are carers.

Barbara Collins

Head of Women in Leadership, Cabinet Office
Employer: Civil Service, GEO
Sector: Public sector

Flexible working pattern: Staggered hours

As a mother of 4 children, the ability to work flexibly has always been important, but this became critical when my youngest child left nursery and all my children were at school. I was fortunate enough to have a really enlightened manager – who was willing to think and act flexibly – and he agreed to a personalised flexible full-time working pattern, which enabled me to start work early in the morning (7:00) and leave in the afternoon to collect the children from school. We also agreed a back-up plan when occasional urgent afternoon work emerged, but the ability to pick issues up later in the evening largely solved any problems. This early-early arrangement worked for the family because my husband (who works for the Ministry of Justice) was able to negotiate a complementary late-late pattern and look after the children in the mornings.

We all benefitted: my husband felt fully engaged with caring for the children – I have been able to support my children with their studies and after-school activities; and, the children (now in their twenties) never considered us to be working parents. This pattern wouldn’t work for everyone and is ideally suited to couples. The early mornings are sometimes tough and the days are busy and long. Nevertheless, it has been rewarding to share the care and has enabled us both to progress in our careers.

Mike Collins

Policy Manager
Employer: Ministry of Justice
Sector: Public sector

Flexible working pattern: Staggered hours

As a working dad, negotiating a flexible working arrangement has been essential in helping me to juggle my caring responsibilities with my career. The Ministry of Justice was one of the first government departments to introduce a family friendly working initiative: Finding a Balance and I was immediately struck by the number of male role models who were showcased. This programme enabled me to negotiate a bespoke pattern, with the full backing of my managers.

I was able to spend time with my growing family in the mornings and make sure they were safely dropped at the nursery and at school, which meant a 10:30 start at work due to a long commute into London. My team and managers were aware of my commitments and meetings and targets were simply scheduled for later in the working day. It took a little getting used to but now huge numbers of staff work bespoke patterns – so I’m pleased to say – flexibility in the new norm!

Anna Cook

Director of Customer Service, Sky
Employer: Sky
Sector: Media and entertainment

Flexible working pattern: Part time

Back in 2013 I was returning from maternity leave, living in Newcastle, with a job that I loved in Sky in communications that was based in Scotland and London. I wanted to come back to work. I loved my job but had no clue how I could be a brilliant mum and be brilliant at work.

My solution, which Sky fully supported, was part-time. Working 4 days a week but with flexibility so that I could be at work when I needed to be and still do some drop offs and pick-ups in Newcastle.

And for me it has worked. Through 2 promotions, numerous home life changes (my son starting school, a critically ill parent) and shuffling of hours, I manage to balance a big, broad job with being around at home.

Andrew Cooper

Deputy Director Organisational Development and Design
Employer: Public Health England
Sector: Public sector

Flexible working pattern: Compressed hours

When our twin boys were born in 2001 we already had a daughter under the age of 3 and we needed to balance work and child care while considering the best arrangements for our children.

Maternity leave was shorter then and my wife went back to work part time after 16 weeks. We took advantage of the 8am to 6pm nursery provision but felt we were missing out as our children developed and thoughts turned to me taking one day a week off work.

I was working as a private secretary for a director general in the Department of Health, and at first I didn’t think it would be possible. However, after discussion with the director general we agreed that I would take Mondays off but remain a full-time employee, so I worked longer days Tuesdays to Fridays.

It was great to be able to take a day off to look after the children, though I sometimes felt guilty that colleagues were working when I was enjoying a sunny morning playing with the children in Battersea Park. That feeling soon passed.

Back then very few men of my generation were out and about with young children. This has radically changed, which is surely a good thing, though clearly there is a long way to go.
In my experience, my managers in the Civil Service have been more open to my request to work flexibly. It has always been a matter of negotiation and discussion in every one of my 10 different roles since starting working flexibly.

I have gained 2 promotions and am now at deputy director level so it should not be a bar to progression, regardless of gender.

Working flexibly at a senior level has been a really positive experience for me. It can only be a good thing for our health and wellbeing and something we should be proud of in PHE. It is good for us as individuals and reflects well on us as an employer.

Angus Crowther

Founding Partner
Employer: Alchemists
Sector: Marketing

Flexible working pattern: Part time

So, what flexible working means for me is that it has, frankly, changed my life. Having been part of the original Oystercatchers team from the start, it was incredibly stressful being a key member in a start-up with aggressive sales targets which in the end attracted a bid from Centaur Media.

Now I have begun a new consultancy, Alchemists but I am still able to work 4 days a week which I agreed with my business partner, Vlad Komanicky, before we started up. This allows me to concentrate on my vineyard and family farm in North Essex, and have more time with my 4 children. Flexible working is the future. I am more efficient and effective now. At Alchemists we use tech to communicate more efficiently and can work on stuff together online. I never waste time. I get a lot more done. I earn more. Crucially I see my wife and kids a lot more, I am happier and less stressed.

Jonathan Curtiss and Lea Paterson

Head of HR
Employer: Bank of England
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split

At the Bank of England, flexible working is available across the organisation. Our job share works as it allows us both the time to focus on other commitments and develop new skills.

Nicholas David

IT Team
Employer: Willmott Dixon
Sector: Construction

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime

I feel that it’s great that agile working is now available to people in IT and that, for me, I like the fact that we are trusted to use the flexible approach and to use it as and when necessary as long as the business is not adversely affected by it.

Florence Davies

Head of the Director General’s Office
Employer: The Department for Education
Sector: Public sector

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, part time

I’ve had all 3 of my children while working in the Civil Service, my first in 1995, second in 1999 and third in 2001. Even back then it was possible to work flexibly. Though not as flexible as today where our IT kit supports a myriad of work patterns and where very much anyone can work flexibly, not just those with children. I don’t think I’d have been able to juggle childcare and work without the flexibility the Civil Service offered me.

I’ve worked in many different departments from Jobcentres (as they were called), the Government Equalities Office, the Home Office and the Department for Education. I was able to work flexibly wherever I moved to. While my trajectory up the ranks may have been slower because of working part time hours and taking maternity leave, my progress was not permanently stalled. It’s true to say that back then, where it was fairly easy to get agreement to work a 3 day week, for example, it was not so easy (depending on your line manager) to get permission to work flexibly within those 3 days so you could drop your child off at nursery and pick up at the end of the day. I remember being repeatedly marked late in one role for arriving at work a little after 9 am. Over time, the culture of the organisation has improved significantly and line managers are more understanding and supportive.

I believe the Civil Service is able to retain many able and committed individuals because of the way it has allowed them to juggle caring responsibilities and a career. Now my kids are grown up I can look back with a smile at how it all worked out in the end, as hard as it was juggling both!

Nick Denholm

Global Digital Learning Manager
Employer: Vodafone
Sector: Telecoms

Flexible working pattern: Part time

Vodafone’s vision to be a purpose led organisation started me thinking about my own personal purpose, a desire to define and embed a skills framework to support young people transitioning out of care services.

I approached Vodafone with a proposal to reduce my working week to 3 days to allow me to focus on achieving this ambition. I was given the opportunity to demonstrate how this could be structured with my existing role and Vodafone have been hugely supportive in helping me bring this to fruition.

As a result I have freed up my time to work with my local borough, education authorities and local businesses to start to build a preparation program for young people from the age of 16. This is a period of great anxiety for this group as it signals the start of their transition to independence.

The new working model has also provided an opportunity for my team to pick up additional shared responsibilities aligned with their personal development and this move to part-time will hopefully have a positive impact for all involved. Vodafone has demonstrated a forward thinking, flexible mind-set for which I’m really grateful.

Louise Dowling

Project Manager
Employer: Ross Project Management and Civil Engineering Services LLP
Sector: Engineering

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split

Since before our children were born, my husband and I have had our own business providing project management services to construction industry clients. Having grown up in a large traditional family, but with firm equality of status between my parents, I am very grateful to have had a parent at home, and was determined that parenting wasn’t going to take second place to our working lives.

For us, the solution has been that I have found a job share with 2 other contract professional mothers returning to work. A key success factor is that our client has realised the benefit of letting us all work the same part-time hours. This is essential in collaborating to deliver the role as we have different areas of expertise. We each offer 25 to 35 hours per week, depending on the workload, so we provide a very flexible resource. Core hours for all of us are during school time, so we have the opportunity to do the school runs and be at home after school.

School holidays require careful planning and we ensure that 2 of us are working whenever possible. My husband works from home one day per week, allowing me essential catching up time, and I can log in remotely when deadlines loom. This has proved a very resilient work model for us.

Katherine Duncan

Bakery Operations Manager
Employer: Greggs
Sector: Retail

Flexible working pattern: Part time

I take off alternate Fridays, so effectively I work a 9 day fortnight. I get quality time with my children, long weekends and some ‘me’ time (now they are at school), meaning I have a good work life balance.

I can’t always take a Friday off due to meeting commitments so I have to juggle things around and select a different day or postpone time off until it’s convenient.

Clare Ely and Jane Beacon

Head of Daytime
Employer: ITV
Sector: Creative

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split (3 days per week each)

Clare and Jane are jointly responsible for over 3,000 hours of television a year, including Good Morning Britain, Loose Women, Tipping Point and The Chase. Their role involves commissioning new shows as well as ensuring that long-running favourites continue to captivate their audiences. Clare and Jane have worked together for 25 years, and have previously produced flagship shows including Dancing on Ice and This Morning. They joined ITV as Commissioning Editor as a job share partnership and were promoted to Head of Daytime with the same arrangement. Between them, they have 4 young children, and chose to work fewer hours in order to maximise the time they can spend with their growing families.

Amie Esson

Senior Estimator
Employer: Willmott Dixon
Sector: Construction

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working, staggered hours

I considered going part time after my daughter was born, but technology and a culture of trust and openness at Willmott Dixon have enabled me to work flexibly and stay full time. Being able to start earlier and finish earlier means I have more time in the evenings to be with my family. It gives me a chance to catch up on my daughter’s day before she goes to bed. Also working from home now and then allows me to drop my daughter off at Nursery so that I can be involved with her education and development too.

I admit that I felt a little guilty about leaving early at first but after a few weeks it became the norm and now others in my office are starting to work similar patterns. I think agile and flexible working are moving in the right direction and that different ways of working are becoming more accepted in construction. Since my return there is now a structured return process in place that eases parents back into the work environment and culture. I believe more can be done in the way of peer support from other parents through potential parent networks.

Rambaut Fairley

Group Commercial Director
Employer: Bourne Leisure
Sector: Leisure

Flexible working pattern: Part time

As father to 2 year old identical twins, parenthood has always involved juggling urgent priorities. And it has always been really important to me to play a full and active part in my children’s lives – work needs to manage around that.

When my girls were 6 months old my wife went back to work full-time, at my request, and I took over looking after them day-to-day on shared parental leave. It was a massive sacrifice for her to give up 6 months of her maternity leave, but one she gladly made for our family. It was the most amazing 6 months, and I am eternally grateful.

Once I reached the end of my 6 months of parental leave I returned to work 4 days a week, and my wife dropped down to 4 days as well. We both have the same day off, Friday, which lets us spend 3 days together as a family. It also provides a bit of insurance if one of us needs to travel for work, although we have only had to use that twice in 18 months.

My employer has been very supportive, and never questioned whether it was possible to do my role 4 days a week. Fridays are protected and moving down to 4 days hasn’t stopped me being home for bath time whenever I’m not travelling.

It’s really important for our business, and for all businesses, to have leaders who demonstrate that flexible working is effective, and can even be encouraged. I don’t really like the term role-model, but it is really gratifying to be told that your example has encouraged others.

Nicola Farrer

Wellcome Trust Career Re-entry Fellow
Employer: University of Oxford
Sector: Education

Flexible working pattern: Part time

Following a 3-year career break, Nicola returned to research in 2014, within the Chemistry Department of the University of Oxford. A renowned expert in her field, she has built a small but flourishing independent, multi-disciplinary research group. They are currently working on the development and delivery of new treatments for children with brain tumours, for whom the 5-year survival rate is currently less than 1%. Her return was sponsored by organisations including the Medical Research Council, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Daphne Jackson Trust, and her research is currently supported by the Wellcome Trust, SCG and Cancer Research UK. Since her return, Nicola has informally mentored 5 aspiring returners and other researchers who were interested in pursuing flexible working

Georgie Faulkner

Head of Multi Sports
Employer: Sky plc
Sector: Media and entertainment

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, part time

Aged 30, I fell pregnant with my first child and started to wonder how I’d manage with a baby and a full-on job as a Sky Sports producer. I knew I didn’t want to give up my job, but equally I wanted to take my son to nursery. I needed flexibility.

So what did I do? I spoke to my manager and put together a request for a 3-day week. So that I could continue producing my own shows, I agreed that my 3 days would vary – sometimes I’d do a 9am-5pm day in the office planning an event, other days I might work 2pm to 10pm to produce a show.

Although my children are now eleven and nine, I still relish flexibility. When my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago, the ability to have extra quality time with him was great, whilst still fulfilling my work and mum roles.

In 2016 I took on a more senior role, and now work a 4-day week. I have found that connecting with people across the business at Women@Sky events has been really inspirational. Talking to people about what works for them can really help, so I would definitely encourage you to make use of the events.

Daniel Feeney

Head of Visitor Services, Buckingham Palace
Employer: Royal Collection Trust
Sector: Tourism

Flexible working pattern: Compressed hours

After my wife returned to work in a senior role with the National Trust we both made the call to take the same flexible working steps, condensing our hours into 4 days so that each of us gets one full day with our son and the full weekend together as a family.

We’re 6 months into it now and it certainly feels like it is working, and indeed we think he is benefitting from having the 3 days at nursery too in the middle of the week. From a personal perspective, I know that I am benefiting from having a day of dedicated Father and Son time, and am more motivated when in the office knowing that I have an employer who understands how important my role as a father is to me.

Verity Fenner

Creative
Employer: AMV BBDO
Sector: Advertising

Flexible working pattern: Part time

Alex Grieve, Executive Creative Director at AMV BBDO, commented:

If you want to pioneer a new way of working, work with the very best pioneers. 50% of Verity’s time is worth a 100% of most. We’re very lucky to have her.

Verity Fenner added:

I’m delighted to be a pioneer in this fantastic scheme, which will hopefully kick start initiatives not only across our industry, but all others too. Working on a permanent contract, but only 2 days a week, gives me so much flexibility with not only work, but with my 2 year old son too. It’s the dream more people should be asking for and pushing for. Dads too. Lots of agencies talk about these things but don’t actually follow through, so I’m determined to shine a light on AMV’s willingness to try something new that’s so desperately needed.

Kyra Folkes

Women in Leadership Communication Executive
Employer: Sky
Sector: Media and entertainment

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime

When starting in a company, especially being young, it’s often assumed you need to ‘earn’ the right to work flexibly, as if it’s a privilege. This has certainly not been my experience at Sky. Job descriptions read ‘happy to talk flexible working’, the importance of a work/life balance is emphasised, and I am working with my manager to prioritise and minimise self-induced pressure.

‘Flexible working’ doesn’t always mean working part-time. I consider myself to work flexibly, choosing to work full time. It’s about a culture and a mind-set of an organisation rather than a one-fits-all policy.

Karen Fraser

Director and Head of Strategy
Employer: Credos
Sector: Professional services

Flexible working pattern: Annualised hours

I lead Credos, the advertising industry’s think tank and I work 200 days a year. Under the terms of my contract, I can work with other businesses, alongside my day job. The freedom that a flexible working arrangement gives me is invaluable. I am hugely productive, and I work long hours, but the flexibility I have allows me to broaden my interests and work with a number of clients outside of my main role. It also lets me pursue personal projects.

I spend time reading to keep up to date on new developments in business, psychology and social sciences. I’m particularly interested in children’s health and wellbeing, and am especially keen to work in this field. I use the rest of my time to focus on my own health, wellbeing and creativity – all of which is important to staying relevant and focussed in my primary role with the advertising industry.

I believe flexible working makes me a better, healthier and more productive employee, and I would like to see more people given the option to work in this way. I think the UK’s 33 million workers, their employers, and their families, would benefit greatly.

Catherine Fry

Head of Compliance
Employer: Tritrax Management LLP
Sector: Financial services

Flexible working pattern: Part time

I have been working flexibly for the last few years in my role as Head of Compliance in the investment management industry. I work part-time, but increased my core working hours from 3 days per week to 4 recently. The children didn’t need me around quite so much and I was able to take on some additional responsibilities.

More recently, I have changed my working pattern again, so that I work my 4 days across 5, and work one of those from home. This has allowed me to respond to my children’s immediate needs and acknowledges that, as they grow up, their needs can and will change. We have always found a way to meet both my family’s needs and my employers, and that is down to good communication between us.

My working environment is well organised, with meetings arranged well in advance which allows me to plan my working week to ensure that I am present when I need to be. It helps that technology allows us to work remotely, so if anything urgent comes up I can still attend to it straight away.

Working a shorter day has been great for productivity. Studies have shown that workers are not fully productive on a full working day so I feel my employer gains by me working additional shorter days rather than fewer longer ones. My children get to see me when they come home from school too, and I feel I’m supporting them as a stay at home mum would.

Lukas Glynn

PMO Analyst
Employer: Royal Bank Scotland
Sector: Finance

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, working from home and remote working

I’ve been flexi-working at RBS since 2018. I normally work from home 2 days a week and spend the other 3 in the office. I take our 6-year old boy to school in the mornings – it feels good to be involved. My wife works compressed hours 4 days a week, so she takes Friday off to be with our son. When work demands it, there are times when you need to help each other out, but generally this works well for us.

Working from home is a big help in sharing the burden of childcare, especially when you can’t rely on a wider support network. Flexi-working is inclusive as everyone has different circumstances – it’s not a one-size-fits-all thing but is there when you need it. And it also saves money on travel, avoids stressful commutes, and improves my general wellbeing and productivity, which is great!

RBS’ technology, as well as understanding line management, helps you feel connected with the wider team.

Juliet Gyamfi

Team Leader
Employer: Mott MacDonald
Sector: Professional scientific and technical activities

Flexible working pattern: Part time (Pattern worked: 4 days a week)

Juliet’s role covers 3 main areas – team leadership, specialist technical advice and project management support. As Team Leader, she has day-to-day oversight of everything from sickness and absence to performance and talent management. Within the technical part of her role, she provides pavement engineering advice on a multitude of projects. She also has project managerial duties for a number of Highways England projects, and is responsible for their collaborative performance framework deliverables. Juliet was employed and promoted on a part-time basis, a choice she made to create space for her family and her own wellbeing as well as pursuing her career. She has supported a number of her colleagues to pursue flexible working to enhance their work-life balance.

Naomi Hahn

Commercial Director
Employer: AutoTrader
Sector: Advertising

Part time (4 days a week)

With the responsibility of providing the strategic direction for the business’ commercial products, Naomi leads a tribe of product, technology and delivery managers at Auto Trader. Her role includes overseeing the company’s commercial and product strategy, and creating and delivering digital products to support over 13,000 car retailers. She also drives the company’s digital advertising strategy, and was instrumental in Auto Trader being one of the first UK companies to bring digital media buying in-house. She is responsible for a multi-million pound P&L. Naomi works part time to balance her working life with family time, and to be available for some school drop-offs and pick-ups. She is part of the business’ operational leadership team which comprises 50% women, and acts as a mentor to several colleagues.

Michael Heap

Senior Manager, Financial Services, Assurance Innovation
Employer: EY
Sector: Professional scientific and technical activities

Flexible working pattern: Part time (3 days a week)

Michael is part of a team at EY that looks at how the firm can employ emerging and disruptive technologies, such as Robotics Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence, to add greater value to its clients. He is also a key driver of encouraging EY’s employees to adopt an innovative mindset and to get involved with the initiatives his team are developing. Michael moved to a part-time role in 2017 to start his own tech business, an app called Tmup, which helps users find people to play sport with. He has launched an internal network for EY employees who are interested in starting their own business, and recently won EY’s EMEIA Better Begins With You award, which celebrates people who have found new ways to build a better working world – EY’s purpose.

Rik Holden

Relationship Director
Employer: Royal Bank Scotland
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working

I work from home Mon to Fri. This allows me to take my 2 children to school most mornings, and saves money on childcare. It also means I spend more time with my children and save money. It can be tricky sometimes managing meetings with customers when I have to leave early in the morning because of long driving times. My line manager has given me the flexibility to get on with the job, essentially. He has a fairly light touch approach, which suits me perfectly. It isn’t for everyone, being alone so long, but I would definitely recommend it to others to consider it if they can stomach their own company for 8 hours!

Tim Hughes

CEO
Employer: Tigerwit
Sector: Financial services

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime

I work fulltime hours on a flexi-time, flexi-location basis to enable me to volunteer on the RNLI Chiswick lifeboat, retain additional advisory and non-executive roles, and be involved with mid-week family life. This means I typically spend 2 days per week working from home and do between 2 and 4 12-hour shifts (including some nights) per month on the lifeboat.

When in the office, I focus on face-to-face meetings, collaboration and supporting my team and can do my desk-work pretty much anywhere: mostly at home but also at the lifeboat station between exercises and shouts. At TigerWit, we are creating a culture around flexibility, celebrating achievement and accommodating numerous working styles so that our employees can enjoy flexibility too and are more motivated and loyal as a result.

I have built advisory and non-executive work into my professional life as I value a portfolio of interests and each role I have benefits, in some way, the others.

I have a young family and it is important to me to be involved in their lives. Whilst our schedule is full on, I believe my wife (who also works flexibly), my children and myself have richer lives as a result of this work-life balance.

Tara Hutton

Policy Advisor, Business Engagement
Employer: Government Equalities Office (GEO)
Sector: Public sector

Flexible working pattern: Staggered hours

I returned to work after a 5-year break caring for my child who had additional health needs. Despite my confidence being low, it was important for me to return to work, and more importantly to build my career again. Before I did this, my partner and I discussed the level of balance we wanted to achieve for our family. He works in an industry with a long hours culture, and we agreed that whilst the availability of flexibility would be a key factor in my decision making process, he would also challenge established thinking to work as flexibly as he could, as we both wanted to ensure we spent time with our children each working day.

My current working pattern is a 4-day week with one day working from home, which will increase to 2 days working from home from September. I also work staggered start and end times which I co-ordinate with my partner to ensure that one of us is there for school drop off and home for dinner and bed-time – we usually agree on the plan on a Sunday evening according to diaries. Good communication with my line manager and my team have been key to the success of this. I have also been able to take unpaid parental leave during part of the summer holidays to allow me to spend quality time with my children, again with planning and preparation with my team and line manager.

This pattern is working for us. I am engaged and productive at work as I feel that I am able to be involved in career building projects whilst being a hands-on mum and likewise for my partner. I have no doubt that our flexible working needs will change as our family grows, however I am confident that this is something we will be able to continue to manage sensibly with good communication and employer support.

Alexandra Jardine

Associate Creativity Editor
Employer: Advertising Age Magazine
Sector: Publishing

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, working from home and remote working

Working flexibly from home has enabled me to work for the past 8 years at a job I enjoy, while at the same time being there for my children for everything that matters to them, from homework to sports days and play rehearsals (plus, not having to invest in extra childcare). This works very well for our family, as I have a husband who has a very full-on medical job and is rarely able to take time off or work flexibly.

I don’t think this would have been possible 20 years ago in my job as part of a team on a magazine, but technology means that I can file all my work remotely and talk to my work colleagues easily using Slack, email etc. even though they are in the US (and in fact, my direct boss also works from home in LA.) I also feel I am more productive working at home in a quiet study than I would be in an office. You do miss office banter and possibly the ability to bounce ideas around, but on the whole I think it enables you to focus and to concentrate on work without distractions – or office politics.

Vivien Kelly

Language Consultant
Employer: True & Good
Sector: Marketing

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working, staggered hours

Being offered this kind of flexibility has meant that I am able to be part of the workforce and still meet some of my caring responsibilities. This is very important to me – intellectually, emotionally and financially.

In offering flexible working, companies can cheaply access an experienced and enthusiastic talent pool. There are millions of people who are unable to commit to a conventional, full-time job, and yet who are skilled, experienced and keen to work. Companies who can offer them employment will build a loyal, productive, efficient and diverse workforce. We know that there is a positive, measurable correlation between teams who embrace cognitive diversity and teams who exhibit high performance levels.

The successful company of the future will clearly be a company with a wide range of working patterns worked by a wide range of individuals.

Jack Lamacraft

Managing Director
Employer: The Park London
Sector: Marketing

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working, staggered hours

I start early and finish early, work remotely and work from home one day a week. This allows me to pick my daughter up from nursery every evening. On the day I work from home I take her in a little later and pick her up earlier.

We have collaboration hours between 10am and 4pm – try not to schedule any meetings outside of those hours, our clients know this and respect it (where possible).
It’s important that as a Director the other staff see that this is something we’re genuine about, it’s not just words on a page.

People are measured on output, not the amount of hours they spend sitting at a desk (we had one project manager working with us who was based in Southampton).

Graham Lloyd

Head of Strategy Development
Employer: Nationwide Building Society
Sector: Financial services

Flexible working pattern: Part time

I took 3 months shared parental leave for my son and returned to work part-time, 4 days a week. The benefits to myself, my wife and son feel huge… and dare I say it, to my team too, in terms of empowering them!

I changed my working pattern just over a year ago and a large part of the success is undoubtedly down to the organisation I work for and our people and culture. Since returning to work part-time, my wife and I have a far more balanced approach to parenting, allowing us to both be active parents but also providing the freedom to continue pursuing our careers.

Katie Lyle

Design Coordinator
Employer: Willmott Dixon
Sector: Construction

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working, part time

The flexi-working initiative at Willmott Dixon has enabled me to start and finish work earlier whilst condensing my hours. This means that I’m able to spend Mondays and more time in the evenings with my 2 year old daughter. Having the option to adjust my hours to better suit my home life has allowed me to stay working full-time – something that I previously wasn’t sure would be possible after having children. I am extremely grateful for this as it breaks down many of the obstacles that can present themselves when you’re a full-time working mum.

I believe that the open and fair culture at Willmott Dixon sets a great example to the rest of the industry. Whilst I’ve already seen an increase in numbers, I would like to see more men working flexibly so that they don’t miss out on family time and also to improve the equilibrium when it comes to childcare and household duties. Striving towards a better work-life balance for everyone will undoubtedly play a part in keeping people happy, motivated and healthy.

Srin Madipalli

Accessibility Tech Lead
Employer: Airbnb
Sector: Hospitality and tourism

Flexible working pattern: Part time (pattern worked: 85%)

Srin’s wealth of experience includes completing an MBA at Oxford, working as a corporate lawyer in a Magic Circle firm and teaching himself to code in order to set up an accessible travel startup, Accomable. When Airbnb acquired Accomable in 2017, Srin joined the San Francisco office. His team use technology to put accessibility at the heart of the Airbnb experience, such as replacing the old ‘wheelchair accessible’ search filter with 27 accessibility filters, making it easier for guests to find homes that fit with their individual needs.

Srin works flexibly to accommodate his health condition (SMA Type II). He is a high-profile public speaker who has raised disability and accessibility issues at forums, including the United Nations, Rio Paralympics and the Tech Inclusion Summit.

Joe Maher

Talent Acquisition Manager
Employer: IHG Europe
Sector: Hospitality

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working, part time

I am fortunate that IHG recognises the positive impact that flexible working can have on an employee’s performance and loyalty and definitely feel since moving to flexible working my performance has increased.

In my role as Talent Acquisition Manager I speak with people across the globe, often undertaking skype meetings at strange hours in the morning to accommodate the diaries of potential talent. What is great is that IHG recognises this and allows me the flexibility to get my time back.

I work 4 days a week with the flexibility of being able to work from home when needed which allows me to use weekends and any free time to focus on my second career as a professional Showjumper (equestrian). During the summer months I am often competing and travelling with the horses for 3 or 4 days at a time however by being very diligent with diary management and utilising all of the great technology made available by IHG (skype, Webex) I am still able to keep up to date and top of my job.

In summary flexible working means I am more focused, energised and passionate about my role which means in turn I am able to genuinely represent IHG positively in the market to attract talent.

Steve McCullough

Consultant
Employer: Deloitte
Sector: Professional services

Flexible working pattern: Term-time working and full-time part year

I used the firm’s Time Out programme, to take up a once in a lifetime opportunity – to be an extra on the final season of the award winning fantasy TV series – Game of Thrones. I have been an extra in the series for the last 7 years but having joined Deloitte in 2015 I knew it would be challenging to find time to continue filming. Thankfully, the firm fully supported me and I was able to take on the role.

All partners and employees at Deloitte can request a 4-week block of unpaid extra leave each year, to be taken at a time that suits them and the business.

Tim Morrell

Lead Inventor
Employer: ?What If! Innovation
Sector: Professional services

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, part time

My wife and I both work a 4-day week; I take every Friday off to look after my 2 young sons. Having kids feels like a pretty wonderful thing and I’m aware how quickly they will grow up. It seems totally logical to try and be around for them as much as I can and my employer has been super flexible.

Once they’re both in school I think we’ll try and shift to a more Scandi model of shorter days (maybe 4 days over 5) so we can spend time together as a family most days though that may be a challenge to fit around clients working on a more traditional 9-6 schedule.

Shelagh Muir and Jane Maciver

Global Vice President of Research and Development
Employer: Unilever
Sector: Manufacturing

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split (3 days per week each)

Responsible for the R&D function of Unilever’s £1.5bn Oral Care business, Shelagh and Jane lead a team of 140 people, with 7 directors, across multiple global locations. They are accountable for everything from breakthrough oral care research through to the introduction of new products into the factory for production. They have launched numerous innovative products, brought several disruptive technologies to the market and implemented strategic change initiatives to support the ongoing growth of their part of the business. The first VP level job share at Unilever, Shelagh and Jane designed their partnership to allow them more time outside of work for their personal interests and passions. They spend their crossover day working on strategic R&D initiatives.

Andrea Mulligan

Director New Business
Employer: R/GA London
Sector: Advertising, marketing, communications

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working

I joined R/GA, a digital innovation agency based in London, last year through a returnship initiative co-founded by the agency’s HR Director, Liz Nottingham. The question of flexibility was discussed very openly during the interview process and on my suggestion, I started off working 4 days in the office and one half day from home with the flexibility to amend this pattern after an initial settling-in period.

My feeling on flexibility has always been that one size definitely doesn’t fit all. The different working patterns of the parents at my agency reflect this. In my view it takes time to find a pattern that works based upon the role, team, cadence of the working week and of course childcare commitments.

I am hugely fortunate in that my husband often works from home and is able to do school drop-offs and pick-ups certain days of a week. Childcare is very much a shared responsibility for us and the flexibility in his role complements that which I have in mine.

Liz Neate

Assistant Director, Financial Advisory Real Estate
Employer: Deloitte
Sector: Professional services

Flexible working pattern: Annualised hours

Having travelled in East Africa, I wanted to volunteer in Uganda. I knew this was a good opportunity to take advantage of Deloitte’s ‘annualised days contract’. I was therefore able to give my real estate day job skills to Land and Equality Movement of Uganda (LEMU) to help vulnerable landowners in Uganda protect their land.

The annualised days contract allowed me to spend 80% of my time working for Deloitte and 20% of my time supporting LEMU. This has made it possible for me to do the 2 things that I’m passionate about.

Chiazo Okey-Nzewuihe

Surveyor
Employer: Willmott Dixon
Sector: Construction

Flexible working pattern: Flexitime

I start and finish early, working from 8.30am to 4pm as I have a long commute to the construction site in Twickenham where I am currently based. I can then log in from home later in the evening, depending on my workload.

What sets Willmott Dixon apart from other construction firms is its openness about different ways of working, as long as managers know what is going on they can try to deal with situations in everyone’s interests. It is very motivating and makes for a happy workforce.
Although I am aware that my work location will be subject to change – I have been based in Twickenham for just under a year – I know that Willmott Dixon will take employees’ personal circumstances into account as much as possible when they move them around.

Mitch (Michele Oliver)

Global Marketing & Purpose VP
Employer: Mars Incorporated
Sector: Food and beverages

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, working from home and remote working, part time

The flexibility of working from home during the hours that work for me makes an enormous difference to my life and my family. Prior to this role I worked 3 days a week for 7 years after my son Albie was born, in roles spanning global marketing and UK Strategy – delivering value to Mars and enabling me to be the parent and partner that I wanted to be. I was promoted in that time which is a true testament to Mars’ support for talent and not work patterns!

Immediately before this role I was Marketing VP for the UK with a team of 70 and on the UK Board – I worked 4 days a week as the business focuses on quality of output not hours of input. To this day I maintain that my one day off made me significantly better equipped to deliver my role – giving me space and perspective to rise above the busy-ness that comes with these roles and focus on what really matters. I am a passionate advocate of flexible working and valuing the work delivered rather than the hours worked.

Robert Oldham

Specialist HR Adviser
Employer: Royal Bank Scotland
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working, part time

I currently work 28 hours a week over 4 days (having a Wednesday off as a rest mid-week). I have flexibility in my role, so can do 2 days working from home and 2 days in the office but generally do 3 days in the office and 1 from home. I have MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and find a full 35 hour week exhausting to the extent that I can’t enjoy family time at the weekend. A little over 4 years ago I made the decision to reduce my hours to give me a break during the week. This has given me my weekends back and I’m so glad that I made the decision.

The benefits are easy – more energy to enjoy the weekend and the business has benefitted to, as I am able to bring the best of myself on the days when I’m working. If I am not feeling great on any day, I have the flexibility to work from home to avoid the commute.
In all honesty the biggest challenge is coming into a fuller inbox in the morning after my day off – sometimes it can feel like you’ve been on holiday. Inevitably you will miss some meetings or updates on your day off but with modern technology it’s easy to get back up to speed.

My line manager has been very supportive and fully supports flexible working. A number of people in my team work different patterns, from part time to compressed working weeks. The bank is also very supportive of different ways of working and has embraced working from home and flexible working spaces such as hub-sites and areas where you can book a desk in a different location to your main site. We have a weekly team meeting on a Thursday so everyone attends that and flexes their work week around that day.

Francesca Pierce

Director of Finance
Employer: Sky
Sector: Media and entertainment

Flexible working pattern: Part time

In 2011, after having my first son, I moved from full-time to part-time so that I could have an extra day to spend more time with him. The balance worked well for me, so when I had my second son 2 years later, I decided to stick with it. Now they are 5 and 7, I’m still working flexibly and I’ve been promoted several times, including to my current role as Director of Finance.

Whatever your reason for going part-time – having children or otherwise – doesn’t mean the end of your career. In fact, it can provide that crucial balance to keep you motivated and engaged.

Faith Pullen

European Financial Planning & Analysis Manager
Employer: Mars Incorporated
Sector: Food and beverages

Flexible working pattern: Term-time working and full-time part year, part time

Over the years I have used; part time hours, flexible hours, a sabbatical and term time working. Currently I work 22.5 hours per week; 2 standard days and 2 short school hour days, with flexibility over which days these are, along with 4 weeks extended parental leave in the school summer holidays.

Of course there are occasions when I need to flex and catch up on things later, but all my colleagues and managers are very supportive. When I’m working I’m able to fully commit without guilt, and thrive on the different challenges of my work versus personal role. An unexpected benefit of flexible working has been strengthening of skill set, it has focused development of prioritization, decision making, communication and delegation.

Supporting such a flexible working pattern and supporting me to take time away on sabbatical whilst a bold and brave move for Mars, is also common across the business, and has also required me to take some risks and be flexible on the career path I’ve taken but I’ve been lucky that the people and company have let me demonstrate that this works across a number of roles – UK, Global and European, both within my area of expertise and encouraging me to grow and develop in a new function and to maintain a successful career path.

Mike Rankine

Business Manager to Head of Transaction Banking
Employer: Royal Bank Scotland
Sector: Finance

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, working from home and remote working

I work standard office hours throughout the week, in London Monday to Wednesday and from home Thursday & Friday. I have a daughter from a previous relationship and look after her 50% of the time; working from home 2 days a week allows me to take her to and from school on those days.

Quite simply, this working pattern allows me to support a 50% shared custody of my daughter. If I couldn’t have worked flexibly this wouldn’t be possible and I would see her far less. I also now have a 1-year old son and flexible working has allowed me to spend more time with him as I am home much earlier without a 90-minute commute.

It can be challenging when face-to-face meetings are organised on my home working days, but I can usually move things around with enough notice. Having fixed days from home at the end of the week does also often mean missing out on office social occasions!

My employer and various line managers have been very supportive. From an employer point of view, we increasingly have new technologies to support home working, such as Zoom video conferencing that allows people to join meetings F2F from wherever they are. My line managers have always been very understanding and have helped me to manage time effectively so that not being in the office is not a disadvantage in any way.

I previously worked a different pattern that varied week-to-week whereby I would work longer hours in the office in London and then school hours from home. Sometimes it was 3 in London, 2 from home, others it was 4 in London with 1 from home and also 2 in London, 3 from home. Because this varied it was difficult to ever explain to anyone what my working pattern was, but I always ensured my work diary reflected where I would be and when I was available. With effective and efficient time management, you can make just about any pattern work.

Penelope Rees and Sam Monck

Head of network sponsorship
Employer: Transport for London
Sector: Transport

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split, part time

Jointly leading a portfolio of more than 1500 projects across Transport for London and local borough roads, Penelope and Sam will oversee £0.8bn of investment over the next 5 years. They are focused on making London a safer, happier environment for all, delivering investments which directly contribute to the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy objectives.

Among their achievements is the delivery of the Safer Junctions programme. Penelope and Sam became job share partners after Penelope was seconded to cover Sam’s role when he was managing another programme. For Penelope, this delivers a fulfilling career alongside caring for her 2 children, for Sam, the opportunity to balance his work with other passions, such as sculpture.

Maddi Riddell

Associate Lead
Employer: ?What If! Innovation
Sector: Professional services

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, annualised hours, part time

I have had various flexible working deals with ?What If! ranging from freelancer, 3 days a week, 3 days a week with school holidays off, full time and now as an Associate. My Associate Deal is a commitment (on both sides) to 80 days per year. Phasing the days is agreed mutually, but usually involves working pretty much full time on a project for 6 to 8 weeks and then having intervals of down time.

It suits me because it means I can have a better work:life balance. I had got to the stage where I was finding full time work quite draining on my energy and forcing all the other things I am curious about and interested in to the periphery.

So far, it is working really well. I love doing my ?What If! work – the challenges, working with a team of smart, curious young people and I love that I can invest time in friends, family, culture, travel, passion projects in a way which keeps me fresh and energised. And because I know ?What If! well, I can contribute to on-the-project coaching, handing on my experience of previous projects but also I have time to invest in new ways of doing things, evolution of tools, techniques, approaches etc.

Ceri Roberts

Supplies People Manager
Employer: Greggs
Sector: Retail

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split

I started a formal job share in my role as Supplies People Manager in January 2016, although the first 6 months were undertaken as a trial to ensure that the arrangement worked for all parties involved.

I remain highly motivated and engaged and I certainly have an increased sense of loyalty to the company for giving me this great opportunity. Sharing your role with someone means that you make a commitment to communicate and to trust!

Andy Rogers

Global HR Director, Government & Agencies
Employer: Sodexo UK & Ireland
Sector: Food services and hospitality

Flexible working pattern: Part time

I shifted to working 3 days a week in February as my wife fell ill last summer and I have needed to spend time supporting her since then.

My change in working hours has coincided with a change in my role. As a result, I have altered my approach and I am now able to plan my work commitments well in advance and review plans where travel is needed.

It has taken time to adapt to my new routine and I have found it easier to be clear about which days I work and which I do not, rather than change these around or operate on number of hours worked. I work from Tuesday to Thursday and while I do look through emails on Monday and Friday, I try to keep everything at arm’s length. On the days that I don’t work, my attention is on my wife, allowing me to be more focussed on my working days.

It has been challenging to adapt to not being available to colleagues on Monday and Friday, while working at 100% on the remaining days of the week. However, having a supportive and pragmatic boss, as well as a flexible employer has helped me enormously to balance my personal and professional commitments.

Kirsty Sadler and Dahlia Nahome

Global Directors of Unreasonable Equals
Employer: Anomaly
Sector: Marketing

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split

Our ‘job pair’ is based on working 2 days a week, together, not splitting the time as a job share does.

This makes the most of our different perspectives on the issue of gender equality, which is the focus of our work with Unreasonable Equals as we look to accelerate the gender movement, independently and with clients, through marketing, innovation and setting a positive example for different ways of working.

The days are not fixed, so we flex to what works for us, our clients and the agency each week and as 2 working mothers the pair set up means we support each other in our work. It has also helped drive more conversation about flexible ways of working across the agency and with clients, which has been a great thing.

Julie Sands

Credit Control Manager
Employer: Aqualisa Products Ltd
Sector: Manufacturing

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, part time

On becoming pregnant with my first of 2 children it was clear to me that I wanted to continue working but keep a healthy work life balance. My employer was very accommodating, I was able to customise my hours from the children starting nursery then primary and through to secondary education. Working 4 shorter days allowed for morning drop offs, leaving Friday for family time.

Over the years I have altered my hours to suit school. I now work 5 days a week with 3 of those as shorter days. I learned very early on that planning and organisation were key to the success of working these shorter hours. The flexibility afforded to me by my employer has meant I have been able to be around for my children which has also given peace of mind to my husband who works away from home time to time.

Karen Sayers

Employer: Barclays
Sector: Finance

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working

Cutting out the commute makes me a lot more productive: I can get some extra sleep, which is great for my health and concentration, and I can work longer into the evening as I don’t have to rush off and get the train.

Hilary Schofield

Financial Planner and Partner
Partners Wealth Management
Sector: Financial services

Flexible working pattern: Part time (4 days a week)

Previously a Food Factory Director, Hilary took an 11-year career break to bring up her children. Faced with a lack of suitable part-time roles to return to, she signed up for career coaching with Women Like Us, through which she identified transferable skills which helped her win a place on a return to work scheme within wealth management. Since returning, she has become one of the UK’s most highly qualified advisers, whose outstanding performance has led to regular promotion; she recently joined Partners Wealth Management as a Partner on a part-time basis. Hilary goes out of her way to promote the benefits of flexible working, with media appearances, including interviewing David Cameron when he was Prime Minister and featuring on Woman’s Hour.

Ben Shaw

Head of Industry
Employer: BB&Talk, Sky plc
Sector: Media and entertainment, creative

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, working from home and remote working

I have been flexi-working since joining Sky in 2010. I normally work from home 3 days a week and spend the other 2 in Sky. I have 2 young children and working from home means I can walk my daughter to school in the morning and give my wife some much needed relief from the kids. She can go out and leave my young son with me or I can do the school pick up.

Christine Smith

Finance Business Partner
Employer: Greggs
Sector: Retail

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime

We recently bought a new-build house which should have been ready for the start of the new school year when my son moved to senior school. The house was delayed which meant we were living 20 miles away from my son’s new school. I was able to work flexibly to pick him up after school and then I worked my hours later in the day from home.

As a parent this was so important and as an employee of Greggs I cannot emphasise enough how this kind of flexibility and support is welcomed and appreciated.

Hilary Spencer

Director of The Government Equalities Office
Employer: Civil Service, GEO
Sector: Public sector

Flexible working pattern: Compressed hours

My husband and I both have jobs we’re passionate about, and when we had our first child, we wanted to make sure we spent proper time with him, but also carried on doing our professional roles effectively. We’ve found that the best pattern for us as a family is that we both work a nine-day fortnight, so we each have a Friday where we spend 1:1 time with our son. When we had our second son, and I was on maternity leave, my husband changed his working pattern to 4 days a week, so that we could spend more time together welcoming this new addition to our family and supporting our elder son as he started school. We’ve since returned to both doing a 9-day fortnight again.

Because we both work this pattern, it means we can swap our days if something urgent comes up at work – and we’re both available to our teams if something crucial comes up while we’re out of the office, but both of our teams respect that we want to spend some dedicated time with our children. Working flexibly in this way has allowed us both to enjoy parenthood and work, and it feels like a good balance for us and our 2 sons, and for our employers.

Lynne Terry

Area Manager
Employer: Greggs
Sector: Retail

Flexible working pattern: Part time

I work a 4 day week which really works for me. As I am only in 4 days I am more efficient as I need to ensure I plan my time to ensure all tasks are completed within the timescale given.

The main challenge is fitting everything in, but I achieve this through careful planning and organisation.

Paul Trenell

Head of Analytical Services
Employer: Civil Service, GEO
Sector: Public sector

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, compressed hours

When our son Joseph was born I moved onto a compressed hours working pattern after my wife Cathy went back to work. Working 10 days in 9 with every other Friday off to look after Joseph allowed us to limit the number of days that he initially went to nursery, helping to get him ready for school gradually, and saving a bit of money on childcare bills! There were some challenges, and Thursdays were often busy, but that chance to spend some regular father-son time with Joseph was priceless. I taught him to ride his bike and took him on his first camping trip on these days, which are memories I will never forget.

When he started school earlier this year I reverted to full-time, but now use flexi-time to drop him off each morning and pick him up from school early every other Friday, which is a treat. I’ve been very grateful to be able to balance my work and home life like this, and pleased by how supportive bosses and colleagues have been.

Karen Walker

Senior Supplies People Manager
Employer: Greggs
Sector: Retail

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split

I would have lost a team member if myself or the business had not been open to the possibility of her working with a job share partner; as a line manager it was a huge benefit to be able to retain her. They complement each other and work really well together.

A major benefit is having cover on site all through the year, and they are both really flexible and able to attend meetings on a non-working day if necessary.

Laura Weston

Group Executive Director
Employer: Golin and Virgo Health
Sector: Communications

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, part time

I returned to work 3 years ago after a career break to care for my children. I now work flexibly on a 4-day week with ad hoc work from home days.

Myself and my husband both manage our hours flexibly, we alternate going into work early and leaving early to collect the children. It’s a juggle, but sharing the care works for our family. The flexibility also works for our careers, as week-by-week we can adjust our hours to fit around both our work commitments and being there for our children.

Sam White and Will McDonald

Group Public Policy and Sustainability Director
Employer: Aviva
Sector: Financial Services

Flexible working pattern: Job share and job split

Sam:

It’s useful to have a second brain and we often spark ideas off one another. We work well together and we get on. We sometimes think in different ways, so it can be great to get an alternative perspective.

Will:

We hear a lot about flexible working, but I see it differently. Non-standard hours are not ‘flexible’ – it’s the 9-5, 5-days-a-week kind of hours that are inflexible. If we can move away from set thinking about how and when we work, we create more opportunities for everyone.

Sam:

When we took on this role we made a conscious decision to be advocates and role models for flexibility. We are no less ambitious or any less committed because we are choosing to do a job-share. We have a big role and a strategy to deliver. This isn’t a case of us ‘leaning out’ – it’s a trade-off for a period of time with our families. Flexibility is integral to modern business. Good people will leave if it isn’t there.

Caroline Wood

Head of Media
Employer: Royal Mencap Society
Sector: Voluntary

Flexible working patterns: Flexitime, job share and job split

I returned to work after a 2 year break to focus on my children and it was harder than I’d anticipated. There was a real lack of options for my level, which offered any kind of flexibility, but then a job came up at Mencap, who are a very progressive employer.

I found someone that I jelled with and we decided to job share – a completely new concept to me. It’s great for employers as you effectively get 2 heads for the price of one. My job share partner and I work fixed days each week, but we have built in flexibility so that we can respond to business and personal needs when they arise.

She is currently on maternity leave so I am working full-time, but flexibly, so that 2 days a week I can pick my boys up from school. Full-time felt daunting at first, but Mencap genuinely puts the needs of its employees first, trusts them to be professionals and get the work done. That approach has made all the difference and I’m surprised more employers haven’t cottoned on to the fact that a better work/life balance ultimately makes people more productive.

You have to be very organised, but it’s incredibly empowering and my team has adjusted well. They know that I am available if something crucial comes up, but they respect the time I need to spend with my children. As well as being more focused and efficient at work, it’s been really positive for mine and my family’s wellbeing. My husband and I didn’t want to perpetuate old-fashioned gender stereotypes. We wanted our sons to grow up seeing us sharing parenting responsibilities alongside work, so that they experience gender equality as the social norm, not the exception.

David

Business Analyst
Employer: Rank Group
Sector: Gaming and entertainment

Flexible working pattern: Part time

I recently paid off my mortgage, and with both of my sons now grown up and able to look after themselves, I decided to reduce my working days from 5 to 4 to give me more time to pursue other interests.

The key to making this work is to stay flexible. A simple swap of a non-working day can be needed if you have to attend an important meeting. I did wonder if people would see a reduction of work hours negatively, but this hasn’t happened. I am now happier and more motivated.

Peter

Head of Global Mobility
Employer: Compass Group PLC
Sector: Food services and hospitality

Flexible working pattern: Working from home and remote working, staggered hours

My wife works full time and has little flexibility during work hours. I start in the office early and finish early in order that I can get home at a reasonable time to help with after school activities for our children.

I also work one day a week from home so that I can be available to pick up from school and get the children fed before they have to go on to other activities so that my wife can have at least one day working later at work if required.

This flexibility in my working arrangements is a great help to our family; cutting back on commuting time and costs, plus the environmental benefit of less mileage means it positively impacts both my engagement with the business, but also my overall feeling of wellbeing.
Performance in the business is not measured by hours in the office so such flexible arrangements are in no way a barrier to success.

Vicky

General Counsel
Employer: Sky
Sector: Media and entertainment

Flexible working pattern: Part time

I’ve worked part time since returning from my first maternity leave in 2004. While working part time I’ve had 3 significant promotions, the first in 2005, to run the Regulatory & Competition legal team, the second in July 2016 to UK General Counsel and the third in 2019 to Sky Group General Counsel.

It has been challenging, but I feel lucky to have the best of both worlds – an incredibly interesting and engaging job, and the ability to spend time with the boys and I wouldn’t change it for anything.