Flexi-Star series pt 5: Helen Bryce, Cheerleader for Women @ The Guilty Mothers Club

What do you do when you've moved to a new area and want to make a difference for working Mothers...set-up a fantastic community just like Helen, founder of The Guilty Mothers Club did,  providing support for those Mothers wishing to return to the workplace....flexibly!

Here's Helen telling us more about the Club and how it continues to grow...

Q1. 1. Tell us who you are and a little about yourself… 

Hi, I'm Helen. Mum of three (7. 5. 3) soon to be four (due in October). I live with my husband in Manchester. I founded Guilty Mothers Club around 3 years ago now with the aim of supporting more women in returning to work after maternity leave, changing career and finding that elusive work - life alignment. I'd experienced maternity discrimination, moved to a new area where I had no real community and was feeling totally lost and frustrated about the whole thing. What started with running small in person workshops and the odd supper club locally has now grown to an online membership community and a range of online courses which I am so proud to say are now helping more mums have a better experience than I did. Over 100 have now done Game Changers and switched things up on the work front, I get giddy talking about this. I am exceptionally passionate about changing the current crap working mums often face and often can be found boring people stupid with my feminist rants and enthusiasm for change. 

Q2. What’s your flexible working purpose? 

Our flexible working purpose is in helping more parents in applying for and making flexible working work in reality (within our Rock your Return programme). Also, for those who decide returning to a current employer isn't the right thing, or who are feeling lost or frustrated or stuck, to find a new way of working (Game Changers). For some this means switching roles or departments within their current employer, considering new ways to work flexibly (which has at times meant moving to a new employer) and also plenty deciding to start a business, go freelance or retrain in something new. We talk a lot about portfolio careers and how to really understand what it is that you are brilliant at or passionate about. Understanding this and what the ideal work / home set up might look like is key. 

Q3. What encouraged you to start your flexible working journey?

Actually, when I started Guilty Mothers Club I was already working flexibly after returning from my first maternity leave part time for a large corporate in HR (talent management and leadership development).

However, this still meant long hours, a long commute and I found sadly that in doing so I also gave up all chances of further progression (something I know can be frustratingly common). I really felt the overwhelm which I also know is common for women in particular, from trying to do and be everything in such a small amount of time. Over the next few years and for a variety of reasons we made choices and decisions to try and change some of this. I now work for myself 4 days a week and feel like I have more work:life alignment than ever before. My husband works flexibly too, he is now fully appreciating and enjoying the benefits flexible working can bring and our lives are very different to eight years ago. 

Q4. What’s your top tip for those seeking flexible work or those who need to ask for this at work?

My top tip would be to try and find out as much as possible about what is on your employer's mind and have as much informal discussion as possible prior to making a formal request. A KIT day can be a great way to do this because you hear more about projects that are happening, who is currently doing what and can scope out and chat to potential job share partners or just test the waters of what could be possible. If your line manager describes some potential hurdles then you know to really focus on how these can be overcome within any request you make, which I think can be more effective than just sending something in cold. 

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

Flexi-Star series pt 4: Nikki Cochrane - CoFo of Digital Mums

As a recent grad of the Digital Mums programme, I know how hard this team of flexi professionals work to launch the careers of Mums of all shapes and sizes via the world of Social Media. We were lucky enough to grab Nikki for our quick-fire flexi questions to tell us how she sees it...did you know that Digital Mums have just launched yet another fab course for Mums who need a tech refresh too? It's called Digital Retox and you can check it out here. 

• Tell us who you are and a little about yourself…

I’m Nikki and I live in East London with my gorgeous French Bulldog, Rolo. I’m also co-founder of Digital Mums, which my brilliant work wife, Kathryn Tyler, and I set up to help mums find rewarding and flexible work that they could sync with family life. 

• What’s your flexible working purpose?

Our goal at Digital Mums is to help women return to the workplace, hustle for the roles - and pay - they deserve and make positive changes in their current careers. We empower women with flexible work - or #WorkThatWorks as we call it - by building digital and workplace confidence on our Digital Retox course and getting mums job-ready in a flexible career on our vocational Social Media management programmes.

We’re also keen supporters of flexible working for all - not just mums. This is why we started our #WorkThatWorks Movement a few years ago to help flexible working become the ‘norm’ rather than the ‘exception’ for a lucky few

• What encouraged you to start your flexible working journey?

Both Kathryn and I lost our dads when we were younger and saw our mums struggle to find rewarding work they could do around childcare. With 54,000 mums forced out of their jobs each year because of maternal discrimination, we realised things hadn’t moved on that much despite the technological changes meaning working in an office 9-5 was no longer necessary - or even fit for purpose. 

With Digital Mums we’re trying to readdress that balance. We’ve now trained over 1,500 mums with 4 in 5 of them going on to find flexible work thanks to our training. 

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

Go in with a plan and show how your flexible work proposal can benefit the business too. And always ask for a trial. Very few employers can refuse a trial and by the end of it you will have the chance to show how your more flexible working pattern has had no effect on the way you work. More than likely you’ll actually be able to prove how its helped productivity! We actually made a short video here to show how to ask for flexible working - you might recognise some of the people in it!

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

Diane Lightfoot joins us for #LetsAllFlexTogetherDay 2018!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The top tip for businesses is simply to try it!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 2. What’s your flexible working purpose? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Flexi Star series pt 1: Meet Katie Dickerson....

Katie Dickerson, better known as SquirmyPopple online, shares her flexible working journey with us as part of our Flexi-Star series, celebrating flexible work in action. Here, she fills us in on how flexible working benefits her family and how she makes this work....

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

I'm Katie, a Glasgow-based digital content/service designer with a three-year-old daughter, an archaeologist husband, a very loud ginger cat and a pretty serious cheese habit.

I'm really passionate about flexible working and write about it a lot on my blog, The Squirmy Popple, where I also write about feminist issues and funnyish parenting stuff.  

2. What’s your flexible working purpose?

I work four days a week, Monday to Thursday, which allows me to stay home with my daughter on Fridays. I can flex my starting and finishing times, work from home when I need to, and stay at home with my daughter if she's sick, so I feel like I have a pretty good work/life balance.

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

When I was returning to work after maternity leave, I knew that I didn't want to work full time. Not only could I not afford childcare for five days a week, but I also wanted to spend more time with my daughter.

I submitted a flexible working request after discussing my options with the management team, and we eventually agreed on four and a half days a week. My husband and I starting off splitting the childcare on Fridays. After my husband got a new job and could no longer watch our daughter on Friday mornings, I asked my manager if I could work four days a week instead and submitted a formal request to change my working hours, which was accepted. 

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

When you make a request for flexible working, don't make it all about you - make sure you show your employer how flexible working can work for both of you. Instead of saying, "Working from home would be easier for me," say something like, “Working from home will mean I don’t have to do a long commute to the office every day, which will mean I have more time to work on my projects.”

If your employer seems reluctant to agree to flexible working, ask for a trial period of a few months so you can prove that the arrangements can work and iron out any issues. There are also plenty of articles about how flexible working can benefit employers and examples of companies that are using it - don't be shy about giving them evidence to help back you up!

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

#LetsAllFlexTogetherDay Launch!

The hashtag says it all, lets ALL flex together day is a chance for us to celebrate two things;

• The love of flexible working

• And the 1st birthday of the 9-2-3 Club!

So what better way to commemorate the birth of our unique networking Club by bringing people and business together to give flexible working a go, for one day and see the benefits unfold.

By flexible work we mean a few things:

• Flexible hours - so logging on between school drop-offs i.e. 9am-3pm, or even finish off work at home when the kids are in bed

• Remote/ home working

• Part-time hours - for example, 2/3 days a week, of five hours, five times a week

• Something simple like working through your lunch hour so that you can leave an hour earlier

Just recently, the Financial Times shared an article about a firm that had initiated a 5-hour work week, they ditched the 9-5 and said it was ‘life-changing’ for the business with fewer sick days and record levels of new business. It highlighted two brilliant things, that firms are willing to shake things up and give this a go and that flexible working actually can and does work.

So how can you join in?

Celebrate with us ONLINE:

Employees

If flexible working isn’t on the table in your current job then this is the perfect opportunity to ask them to give flex a go, just for one day and let them see how productive you can be - show them the benefits through the articles we’ll be posting and prove that you can get exactly the same work done (or more), whether this is at home or through flexible hours and perhaps this could help reassure them that this is future-proof - fight for it, it makes complete sense.

Employers

We understand that this is a complete break from the normal 9-5, it may send heads into orbit but this is just one day out of the year for your employees to prove to you how this can work for you as a business. Flexible working is known to encourage employee productivity, improve happiness, so we’re asking you to give flex a go on the 12th September, 2018.

What you need to do:

• Lets ALL flex together on the 12th September and shout about it by using our hashtag #LetsAllFlexTogetherDay

• Let us KNOW about it - post your photo’s to our page, wherever you’re working, whatever time you’re working, join in and engage!

• Tag yourselves and your businesses if you’re working flexibly that day.

We want everyone to know just how great flexible working really is!

Come and celebrate with us in person!

As well as joining our online community, you can come and celebrate with us in person at Unipart's HQ in Oxford (more details to come soon).

We’re planning a great day with some great speakers and as well as all flexing together, we’ll be celebrating the 9-2-3 Club’s birthday!

The 9-2-3 Club was launched 12th September 2017 in Westminster (check us out here), we had a fantastic day launching the club with some great attendees and speakers and we plan to do the same this year, looking at how far the Club has come and how it’s grown with the fab networking events we’ve had the chance to deliver.

The Club has given us a great opportunity to meet fantastic people and business’ and the feedback we commonly get from Club attendees is overwhelmingly supportive, that’s why we want to celebrate with as many of you as we can on the 12th September.

We hope to see you there and for those who can’t, we want to see you ONLINE so we can all flex together and celebrate!

Keep an eye our Facebook and Twitter page as we release more details about the upcoming day!

 

#LetsAllFlexTogetherDay