Katie Roberts Career Consulting

Almost 20 years ago now as a young Marketing Manager, I was lucky enough to have a very forward thinking boss who recognised my new commute was going to be around three hours a day. He suggested I establish a home office to work from two days a week, since he thought I might eventually leave. It was a great strategy from his perspective because I stayed for several years and much of my commitment stemmed from that time spent at home. I was also more productive in my home office and he recognised the time away from the office helped me focus on the bigger picture and get things done that I may not have had time for otherwise. My boss was satisfied with the results I achieved and didn’t focus on how much time I spent behind my ‘traditional desk’.

While many companies today have embraced flexible work environments that include working from home, flexible hours of work, increased leave, time off for family commitments, part-time work, and job sharing, there are many more that haven’t.

Recent research however, is confirming that flexibility with work environment and hours, combined with allowing employees more autonomy to get on with their job achieves a happier, healthier, and more productive team in the long run.

But how can you go about achieving this if your organisation doesn’t have an existing policy? The Australian government has a site that provides tips on how you can get started. Click here for more information on negotiating flexible work arrangements with your employer. To summarise, you need to:

1. Decide what might be appropriate – remember to consider your needs as well as your employers;
2. Put together a proposal outlining your desired flexibility and how you will manage your workload. You could consider implementing some easy strategies first and working towards a trial period rather than an ‘all or nothing’ approach up front;
3. Discuss the plan with your employer making sure to address some added benefits they might see as well as addressing your needs in changing your work arrangements;
4. Remain open and flexible – your employer might not be 100% receptive in the beginning, especially if this flexibility hasn’t been available before. Be open to their ideas and listen to their concerns – that way you may be able to go away and come up with an alternative.

With flexibility in your work arrangements, there often comes added pressure – responsibility to complete your work on time and to a high standard without the constraints of having to work set hours in an established environment. Consider if your personality will really suit this approach before you go down this path. It can also be very rewarding though, with more time to do some of the things you enjoy or spend quality time with your family.

Would you like some help with your career? If so, we can offer a variety of services including career advice, executive career coaching, resume and selection criteria writing, LinkedIn Profile Writing, interview coaching, job search coaching, and MBTI personality profiling.