The festive period is often a time of reflection. As December rolls around, we're sometimes haunted by the ghosts of Christmasses past. Of years when the office was festooned with tinsel and the wistful tones of Mariah Carey echoed around the departmental kitchen. This can go either way, of course. You might feel a touch of nostalgia for the years when reindeer sweaters were de rigueur at your Friday morning accounts meeting. You may, on the other hand, shudder at the memory of an office Christmas lunch of lukewarm turkey and soggy sprouts. Either way, this time of year has a habit of focussing the mind on the issue of RTO - the "Return To The Office".
What makes a good leader? How much impact do our senior managers really have on our day-to-day experience of work? And is the movement towards equality and flexibility for all really dependent on great chiefs?
In an attempt to smooth the path of our friends in the 9-2-3 community, we've put together some top tips to help you to return to work with confidence, and bag the best flexible jobs on the market in 2024. Read on for more details...
Ah, September. Month of blustery mornings. Of afternoons where the leaves crunch satisfyingly under your feet. Of endless confusion about the day on which PE kit is required. Don't you just love it?
We can't help but feel a flutter of excitement at this time of year. Possibly it's because of the sudden silence at home, or the reduced demands for snacks and screen time. Maybe you're celebrating the excuse to dig out cosy sweaters and to retreat inside with a book. Or perhaps it's the fact that the air is just that touch fresher, the colours that fraction richer. Everyone I pass is walking with a little bit more purpose in their steps. However old we are, as the new academic year rolls around, I think we all feel a little more driven - that it's time to set ourselves some new goals, and that we finally have the bandwidth and the space to achieve them.
Here at 9-2-3, we often talk about the challenges of balancing childcare with careers. Of how flexible working can help people with disabilities to access the workplace. About how flex can help older employees extend their working lives. But there's another group of employees out there whose place in the world of work is also increasingly under threat…
As the New Year dawns, with the added joys of lockdown #3, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s a rather grey and uninspiring dawn. However, here at 9-2-3, we’ve been thinking about the months and years to come and we’re feeling hopeful about the post-pandemic landscape for businesses; there are definitely signs of a brighter future shining through the clouds.
2020 has been quite the year so far. Whilst as a country we seem to never be too far away from another political crisis, there have been some great developments that show where the rest of the year, and perhaps further into the future, is going to take us. So it’s a good time to take stock of some of the more positive things starting to emerge when it comes to work and the ultimate goal of modern day thriving family.
1. Tell us a little about you? (work, family, location etc)
I’m a husband and father of two young children, aged 10 and 5. We live in Altrincham and I take the Metrolink to work in Manchester City Centre every day. I’m the Managing Director of Code Computerlove, we’re a digital agency with around 100 staff, based in the Northern Quarter.
2. Your fave spot in Manchester?
My favourite area doesn’t exist anymore, well since the Manchester bomb it’s now the Triangle near Selfridges. Back when I was a student it was a flea market called the Corn Exchange (a bit like Affleck’s Palace) and it’s where I collected all my Beatles & 60’s records and imported Japanese video games
3. How would you describe your ideal working week?
I love being in the office, but I know I’m more productive when I’m totally by myself. So my ideal working week has me working from home for a day or two, speeding through a backlog of work I’ve been meaning to get to for a while – it’s very satisfying!
4. Fave Manchester band/song?
Tough question as there’s so many! I’d say The Stone Roses are my favourite Manchester band, but my favourite song by a Manchester band is ‘Hymn from a Village’ by James.
5. Why does flexible working appeal to you?
I’m probably a workaholic, I love what I do and so work is intricately woven into my life. I’ve got a family and 2 young children so I do need to juggle my work and family lives so I need flexibility to be able to do that.
Here's Simon @webmart taking part in our #northernflex - all of Simon's team work flexibly and here, he tells us why this is the right decision for his business...
1. Tell us a little about you?
Simon Biltcliffe, CEO of Marketing and Print Agency with offices in Bicester, Barnsley and East Kilbride. Proud father of 2 daughters. Marxist-Capitalist. Currently living down South near Bicester but heart will always be in Barnsley! Recent new Trustee of Barnsley Football Club.
2. Your fave spot in Manchester?
Wythenshawe at my brother’s house!
3. How would you describe your ideal working week?
Up at 6 and at home by 6. On Tuesdays doing my DIY MBA day (reading about different business strategies whilst listening to some good tunes out of the office. No emails, phone calls or distractions.) Then out and about seeing as many people as possible, driving around in my Hyundai Ioniq, the greatest best low cost car you get and environmentally friendly too!
4. Fave Manchester band/song? Oasis – Super Sonic.
5. Why does flexible working appeal to you?
Flexible working helps us to keep our team happy. We can retain the best talent as circumstances change in their life, such as moving or starting a family. Technology allows us to stay in touch and keep them involved in the business. It’s worth us being flexible it have and keep the best team.
Some people may shudder at the thought of networking, I for one used to dread this situation…how do I start a conversation, ask the right questions, do I hand over a business card?
I can honestly say that the more you do these events, the more confident you’ll become at simply being yourself and ultimately representing your own brand, better than any other tactic you may have going on in your head.
Here at 9-2-3, we have seen many women come together over a cup of tea, share (sometimes very emotional) stories and even come away with the prospect of finding a new career for themselves.
In a day where technology is king, it’s sometimes so nice to actually talk in person to one another about a shared view or topic.
Here’s a fab article that highlights just how important it is to go out and network, especially when you’re a Mum.
So…what exactly is the 9-2-3 Club?
You may have heard us mention the 9-2-3 Club so here’s a little low down on what it is and how it became what it is today…
The 9-2-3 Club aims to enable women to connect with one another, and be inspired by others who might be able to help further their ambitions.
We line up a variety of speakers:
Some meetings will take place at the offices of big businesses, which will give members the valuable chance to step back into a workplace environment - and realise it's not scary - it's actually quite exciting!
The big launch!
While launching The 9-2-3 Club at The House of Commons I called on all businesses to advertise their next hire as a flexible one and called on all candidates to ask about flexible working arrangements in their next interview – not a demand, just a question.
As anyone who’s spoken to me will know – I’m passionate about flexible working, and I was thrilled with the support The 9-2-3 Club had at its launch. Representatives from businesses – big and small – along with candidates (those who have had career breaks and those who haven’t) plus others, such as Digital Mums, who like me, are campaigning for a more flexible workplace.
The launch wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Victoria Prentis MP, who sponsored the event. She said: “Having job shared before I became a MP, I am really supportive of any initiative that encourages flexibility in the workplace. It is not just mums and dads who have career breaks – increasingly we are seeing people taking on caring responsibilities for elderly relatives as well. Helping these talented professionals to continue to work is so important.”
I was also delighted that Margot James MP (Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility) came along and spoke passionately about the benefits of flexible working – for both employees, employers and society as a whole.
It’s funny to think that all this started a few years ago, while I was pushing my children on the swings at my local playground….
I had been struggling to find any flexible or part-time work, and I looked around and saw I wasn’t alone. The playground was full of talented and experienced professionals all looking for flexible opportunities. And at the same time I realised there were lots of businesses out there struggling to find the talent they needed to help their business thrive and grow.
The 9-2-3 Club will be holding their next (and possibly biggest) event on the 12th September 2018 where we will be encouraging business leaders, employees and in fact, everyone to work flexibly for one-day #LetsAllFlexTogetherDay. We’re lining up some brilliant speakers and panels so do keep in touch and keep an eye out for more news on our website and social media pages! You can register for a free ticket here or join in online on the day....how?
If you can't make it in person, why not join some of our panel discussions! We'll be providing a link (and times) on the day so that you can view these from your laptop! We'll even be hosting a Facebook Live so that you can ask questions to the panel when the live Q&A happens. Why not join in the conversation and tell us how you're already working flexibly (and all its benefits) and post/ tweet/ comment these using our #LetsAllFlexTogetherDay hashtag, we'd love to hear your opinion and photo's would be GREAT!
Haven't tried flexible working before?
This is your perfect chance to give Flexible Working a go for one day! Let us know about it online if you do!
Written by Greg, dad to two, husband to one...doing the best he can!
I spent last weekend with my family, enjoying the weather ( a lot) and the cut and thrust of Chessington World of Adventures (a lot less...). This weekend, however, I am working late shifts both days and will be home from work long after my two young children have gone to bed. And so it goes with shift work…
When most people hear that I work 6 on, 3 off shifts, they normally comment on working six consecutive days. Usually, it goes something like this: “You work SIX days per week?! I couldn’t do that.” But it doesn’t take long for people to soften their view. As a result of my shift pattern, I work fewer days per year than someone on a more ‘standard’ Monday to Friday pattern and my leave goes further too. These two revelations get people’s attention but there are other benefits too…
I’m sitting on my sofa, it’s a Thursday, and in addition to shoehorning in a bit of NETFLIX I have done half the school run, taken my son to his swimming lesson, enjoyed a meal out with my family, helped with homework, read a bedtime story, put the bins out and worked a 7.5 hour shift. Oh, and cobbled together this badly written diatribe... A good example of how you can make shift work...work, and work well.
I have had a number of jobs over my relatively short working life most of which have maintained what you would call normal business hours, apart from the odd temp job in retail-there is definitely therapy in stacking shelves.
You know when the best time to do almost anything is? On weekdays. Everything is a touch less crowded, which makes the shops nicer, the roads quieter and taking my daughter to the park a little bit more peaceful (sometimes). Admittedly I quite like spending time by myself and also seek quieter environments with my family so perhaps I am a little biased but I find I spend less time in competition with others for space, or jostling for my place in the queue...
I don’t know how people get to the doctor or dentist or get their car serviced etc when at work during the traditional work pattern, I find an awful lot more flexibility in my work rhythm despite essentially being contracted to the same number of hours a week. These more mundane tasks tend to be far easier to sort with my current regime.
If there is a downside, perhaps sleep patterns are one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I get enough sleep, but the timing can change depending on work. Some people probably benefit from greater routine on that front. Also, the rest of the world arranges many things for the weekend (obviously) which means I can regularly miss them unless I deem them vital enough to take annual leave...
Work-life balance. I will finish with this as this is what most people strive to achieve when it comes to their lives. I certainly have it and consider myself very lucky as a result and get this, it certainly doesn’t involve a 9-5.
