return to work

Flexi-Star series pt 2: Vicki Psarias (a.k.a Honest Mum)

Meet Vicki, who has been on an incredible flexible working journey, carving out a remarkable career for herself which works for her and her family. Vicki is #1 Bestselling Author/ Blogger/ Vlogger/ Filmmaker/ TV Director & Founder of Honest Mum® honestmum.com .....just how does she fit it all in?

10058-B.jpg

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

I'm a mum of two, former award winning filmmaker and full time blogger and vlogger. My debut book Mumboss became a number 1 bestseller on Amazon when it was released earlier this year, and in it, I share all that I've learned over the 7 years moving into this gloriously democratic and nourishing digital space.  

2. What’s your flexible working purpose?

Directing proved to be inflexible (12-15 hours on set doesn't work with kids) so after briefly returning to direct some commercials when Oliver was 1, I felt incredibly lucky when my blog organically became a business and I could pivot into blogging and vlogging in a flexible, well paid career that worked for my family.

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

The inequalities and inflexible nature of the traditional media industry I was working in.  

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

Speak to HR at work, explain your requirements and negotiate. Consider starting a digital side hustle that could become your full time job. Follow your passions.  

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!

Returning to work....finding my way back

Six years. 

Six years of baby groups, teething, weaning, sleep deprivation, nappy changes, playdates, Cbeebies, endless snacks (for the kids…and me), potty training, coffee gone cold, epic meltdowns (for the kids…and me) and cuddles. LOTS of cuddles. 

I have loved my time away from the workplace, embracing the role of Mummy. It’s never been an easy task, nor one that I instantly felt secure in, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I left my full-time job as Head of Communications back in February 2012, to have my daughter, Daisy who is now six. I was more than ready to ditch the 9-5, and the gruelling 90 + minute commute into central London (I had a ‘triple event’ commute, encompassing a 45-minute train journey, a tube ride and a significant walk). Making that mental shift from enjoying a professional full-time career, to becoming a stay-at-home mum definitely took a while to get my head around. Suddenly, strategy meetings and photoshoots were replaced with Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in a village hall with a bunch of strangers and a crying baby.   

I had intended to return to work once my maternity leave ended. However, life had other plans for us, and our little family of three ended up swapping the hustle and bustle of Essex for rural Northamptonshire. I instantly loved our new surroundings, and relished life being mum: the world of work seemed a lifetime ago. I soon fell pregnant again, and in September 2014 our little hurricane Henry was born. 

It was when Daisy started school that I started to wonder: logistically, how would I return to the workplace again? Without family close by to help, will the numbers stack up once we’ve paid for childcare? Are my skills, experience and knowledge still relevant? But, just as that particular psychological shift took a while, so has the shift from being a stay-at-home mum to working mum of two. You can find your way back. 

Over time, I briefly flirted with the idea of going freelance, but my heart wasn’t really in it, and with two young children, there were just never enough hours in the day. And so an acute lack of confidence started to creep in. But (and this is where the sisterhood really comes into its own), over lots of coffee, wine and conversation with some brilliant women I’m proud to call friends, I realised the following:

  • I still have those skills, I’m just not using them at this moment.
  • I am capable and intelligent.
  • My kids won’t hate me for returning to work.
  • Sometimes, you just have to jump in and see what happens. 

And so I did! 

The opportunity to work with Helen and the team at 9-2-3 came up, and I knew it was too good to miss. Working flexibly, over three days with some home-working, has allowed me to roll up my sleeves and get stuck into a job that is varied and interesting. 

First day nerves


For us mums, the return to work can be nerve-wracking and overwhelming. However, I couldn’t have asked for a better first day back. The team were welcoming, friendly, and inspiring. There was hot coffee and chocolate, and I even managed to set up a gmail account! From chatting to other mums in a similar situation, I know that a fear of technology is something many struggle with when contemplating their return to work. I can honestly say that it hasn’t been an issue. Your standard office and email systems are all pretty intuitive, and they really don’t change that much, regardless of how many years it’s been since you last set up your out of office. Importantly, if you’re unsure, it’s OK to say, “I need help!”. Even if you do make a mistake, or get in a muddle, it’s rarely a disaster and there’s always some support available. I’ve managed to get to grips with a database that I’ve never used before and navigate MSOffice without too much drama - proving to myself that full-time motherhood had not rendered me completely useless! In fact, it’s the ability to juggle and project manage a dozen things at once (a daily requirement with children and a household to run) which makes mums and dads returning to the workplace so valuable. We’re not phased by much, and know that given an hour or two, we can blitz whatever is in front of us!

Driving home from the office that day, I felt exhilarated and so grateful for the opportunity to be working again. Job hunting can feel depressing when everything is the standard full-time, 9-5 gig. It excludes so many talented, enthusiastic, and skilled individuals. A few months ago, I was beginning to feel a little defeated as I knew those hours and rigid approach to working wouldn’t fit in with my family life.

I’ve now been back at work for a month, and it has been fabulous. I love using my brain in a different way and have realised that those skills from my ‘previous life’ in PR are still there; a little rusty maybe, but alive and kicking nonetheless! Returning to work has given my self-esteem a huge boost, and I can still take my children to school and pre-school. I was able to attend Daisy’s celebration assembly, and I can even squeeze in the odd early-morning run before I start work for the day. Flexible working has enabled me to contribute ideas, be part of a brilliant team, and champion a cause that I truly believe in. All of this, and I still get to spend enough time with my children for them to drive me slightly nuts - because that’s part of their charm!

 

35293591_10156152993126900_7098074175566249984_n.jpg

 

 

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!

#dadsflextoo - A blog by Greg

IMG_5141.jpg

 

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.