For all the current anxieties about zero-hours contracts, insecure self-employment and the new “precariat”, flexibility in the workplace doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If you want to drop to part-time, work a few days from home, arrange your working hours around childcare or consider phased retirement, flexible working can help to restore your work-life balance, and there’s good evidence it boosts productivity, too.
Since June 2014 any employee who has been in a job for six months or more has the right to request flexible working; 4 million Brits are estimated to have worked from home in 2015 alone. But while employers are often sympathetic to flexi-time options, it can be hard to know when and how to bring the topic up, especially if you’ve been working a full and regular 9-5 for some time – and many employers remain more hostile to the concept.
There are downsides: as Suzanne Bearne explored recently for the Guardian, “there are issues around putting in longer hours when you are working remotely”, and a dependancy on technology means flexible working is still heavily skewed towards high-earning, technically-proficient career paths, which leaves large sections of the population feeling they have fewer options.
Some jobs lend do themselves more naturally to flexible working practices, but many business leaders already believe that flexible working is going to constitute a cornerstone of the oncoming “fourth industrial revolution”.
So is flexible working right for you? And if so, how do you go about getting it? Join us on Wednesday 12 October from 1-2.30pm BST for a live chat with our expert panel. We’ll be discussing:
- Flexible working options.
- How to approach your boss.
- Advice on protecting your hours if you want to move part-time.
- Tips on returning to full-time work if you’ve been part-time.
The Q&A takes place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: create a free Guardian account or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profile to comment. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to charlotte.seager@theguardian.com, who can post them for you.
Panel
Jessica Chivers is founder of The Talent Keeper Specialists, who works with employers to shape inclusive workplaces where part-time can still mean progression. Chivers is also a coaching psychologist, and author of Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work (Hay House, 2011).
Jason Romayne is a business development manager for Flexiworkforce. He works to manage new business for part-time and home-based work that promotes flexible working patterns from employers.
Jo Martin is a senior employment law specialist at Bond Dickinson LLP solicitors, and advises employers and employees on all legal issues arising, from discrimination to contractual matters, restructuring to dismissals.
Tom Ball is an industry expert on flexible working and founder of NearDesk, which hosts a network of over 300 workspaces across the UK. He is on a mission to promote flexible working and get more people to work near home.
Catherine Rogan is a rights adviser for Working Families’ legal advice service and has over 13 years of experience advising parents and carers on flexible working and their rights at work.
Katie Wood is legal officer for Maternity Action, a charity that provides free advice on maternity and parental rights and benefits to parents, health professionals and employers. She has contributed to numerous guides on parental and discrimination law and wrote Maternity and Parental Rights – a guide for parents.
Kate Headley is development director at diversity consultancy, The Clear Company. She has over 15 years’ experience in diversity and talent management and is known for her expertise in inclusive talent solutions, such as flexible working.
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