Thoughts on flexible working

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our flexible working event on Thursday at SJ Berwin, and of course our sincere appreciation to SJ Berwin for hosting. Its obvious that this is a topic that is relevant to many Citymothers, myself included - I work two days a week from home, an arrangement I started after my daughter was born last year, and one I hope to continue after baby number 2 arrives this summer. For me its an essential way of  balancing work and home life - on the days I work at home I spend the same hours at my desk as I would in the office, but the commuting time (for me a total 3 hours a day) is time I spend with my little girl. It has, however, come with some unexpected consequences - I say unexpected, but this is really only a product of my own naivety I think - and that's managing perception at the office about my commitment, and impact on my own career development. Being out of sight but not out of mind is something I focus on constantly. So it was fascinating for me to hear from both Nicola Kerr, senior employment partner at SJ Berwin and Karen Mattison, founder of Timewise Jobs, talking on the subject on Thursday. Nicola covered the legal framework, including top tips such as 'address arrangements informally' and 'don't be afraid to suggest alternatives'.  Karen shared practical perspectives on working flexibly, including her insights into beating the stigma that surrounds it - i.e. managing the perception that working part-time or from home means you are somehow less interested in career progression.

I'm sure this is a topic we will return to frequently, and my thanks go to both speakers for sharing their time. Onwards, though, and so I am now focussing on our forthcoming events starting with our first Talking Talent session, "Managing the maternity transition', being held this Thursday at our kind hosts Macfarlanes. Places for these coaching-led sessions are strictly limited and Thursday's event filled within a few days of opening registration. So if you're interested in session two, 'From survival to sustainabilty', keep an eye out when we open for booking in early June! As always, our events are free to Citymothers members. We hope you enjoy them.