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…
This month we’ve taken on another five members of staff to join the 9-2-3 team, and it’s led me to think about what flexible working means for me. I set up 9-2-3 Jobs following a frustrating (and fruitless) period of looking for work myself. For the first few years I would work alone from my own home….
1. Tell us a little about you?
I have lived in Sale, South Manchester for 8 years and love living in the North West. I am currently a freelance social media and project manager working remotely from home. I am a mum to an almost teenage son and a young daughter. My husband does the school drop off, whilst I pick up and juggle most of the things in between.
2. Your fave spot in Manchester?
Walkden Gardens. Its a wonderful hidden gem recently named one of the top ten happiest views by Harpers Bizaar. It's known as the maze for it's many secret "rooms" and it's the best place for an epic game of hide n seek. A little oasis in the city and a fantastic place to get away for a few mins of peace. I feel very lucky to have it on our doorstep.
3. How would you describe your ideal working week?
To be busy, productive and organised. I distribute my work across school hours and sometimes catch up in the evenings once the kids are in bed. Planning is key as is communication, especially when working remotely with clients. Working from home can be lonely so a perfect week would also include lunch with friends or others in the same working from home boat as me.
4. Fave Mancunian song?
One of my favourite running songs is Charlemagne by the Blossoms. Dont Look Back In Anger always gets me singing and I'm not ashamed to admit I love a bit of Take That (a partly Mancunian band).
5. Why does flexible working appeal to you?
For me it's all about managing the jugglestruggle and working flexibly around family life. But in general, it seems common sense to me that working in a way that finds a better balance between work, life and family is going to improve your mental well being and thereby empower you to approach the time you spend working in a more positive and productive manner. I see that everyday in my work and the work of others around me. I want to be there for my kids parents evenings and assemblies but I don't believe that having children should equal the end of my career aspirations. I can work succesfully without compromising my career goals, if given a bit of flexibility.
