Flexible working question

galvanizersbaby

Doozergirl wrote: »

Cheap shot comment if ever there was one. Of course I wouldn't take them to the office, that is the entire point of working from home - to keep them in a safe and secure environment.

They are able to keep themselves occupied for a while and if I come away from work to do something for them then the work still gets done because the office doesn't close at the same times!

There are plenty of distractions in the workplace that deter from work and it's recognised that home working is incredibly productive - even if you share a couple of hours in a day with the kids in the same place. Working from an office feels like a breeze after a year of working from home - my work rate was incredibly high and every minute I stepped away from the laptop, I'd probably spend five back at it to compensate anyway.

:rotfl:There are plenty of distractions in my office that's for sure - my colleague who sits opposite chats a lot, people tend to come in with simple requests as you are there in the office rather than email and that makes me a bit more unproductive, people having loud telephone conversations right outside my door, and worst of all there is the choccy machine :eek: which I find is constantly calling me

onlyroz

galvanizersbaby wrote: »

and worst of all there is the choccy machine :eek: which I find is constantly calling me

Well our machine does choccy, crisps and fizzy drinks - used to be on the floor below, but now there's one on my floor as well :eek: - particularly useful for those days when you don't seem to have time for breakfast...

Doozergirl

Will they contact you between 8-10pm?

I'm sure you can find your way around this if it involves working at the times that you need to work and being 'available' in the times you say you will be? If you own line manager is happy with you doing as you feel comfortable then he would probably maintain that for you? I'd be happy to answer the phone to someone checking on me (sigh) at 9pm if it meant I could get on with what I needed to, when I needed to.

I bet it will relax in a while again anyway once the idiots have learned not to ruin things for themselves.

ailuro2

I'd say I was going to be working from 7 to 9, but then do the majority of the work between 5 and 7, and put up with the odd call during the evening.;)

Unless of course you're going to be logged into the company network and they can see when you're online and working.

onlyroz

The problem with saying that I'll always be available at a certain time is that eventually I'll get caught out if I'm not. In my office there are some people who arrive at 7 and leave at 4pm, and others that arrive at 10 and leave at 7pm. There are others still who log into the network in the evening. We also are encouraged to use MSN when working remotely, and that works quite well (and everyone can see when I'm connected to MSN or not as well). I personally wouldn't call anyone in the evening, but I have been known to chat to collegues about work issues on MSN at 10pm if they're available...

Well it's 6:30 - time to start work...

ailuro2

posted at 06:31, you're late for work!!:p

Glad you made it out of bed.

I get up early and surf the net, it's my little bit of 'me' time when I eat my breakfast and wake up before going and getting ready for work (8 to some time after 4 Mon to Fri, no choice to work from home, no flexibility, you're lucky you have an option. PArt time after school care is £170 a month.;)

onlyroz

ailuro2 wrote: »

PArt time after school care is £170 a month.;)

That's not so bad, but I already pay £950 a month for my daughter's nursery fees...

moneypanicker

I'll prob get shot down for saying this - but i think you are incredibly lucky that you're employer has let you do this for so long. However i really do not understand how you can get your son's tea etc whilst working. You son is only 4/5 but soon he'll have spellings to do, more reading, maths etc. How will that get done? I work as well and know it is a juggling act but to work full time without any childcare is near enough impossible. After school club may be an option as the time in the evenings is not exactly constructive for him.

onlyroz

moneypanicker wrote: »

I'll prob get shot down for saying this - but i think you are incredibly lucky that you're employer has let you do this for so long. However i really do not understand how you can get your son's tea etc whilst working. You son is only 4/5 but soon he'll have spellings to do, more reading, maths etc. How will that get done? I work as well and know it is a juggling act but to work full time without any childcare is near enough impossible. After school club may be an option as the time in the evenings is not exactly constructive for him.

We eat at 7pm and I read with him after that.

Zazen999

Doozergirl wrote: »

It does seem that those of us actually doing it are able to appreciate the valuable contribution we make

onlyroz, do you have a Union that you can ask about this childcare/working arrangement? Also about whether your hours really have to be restricted to 9-5?

Well, I've done it for 10 years, and have managed people who have done it, and devised processes and procedures and developed health and safety policy around Home Working - so yes thanks, I do understand.

onlyroz wrote: »

That's not the point - of course you wouldn't take kids into the office. They'd be bored out of their minds and run riot. But at home they've got their own toys to keep themselves occupied, with the only restriction that they keep out of mummy's way for a few hours.

Would they though - keep out of mummy's way for a few hours? For the same few hours each and every working day?

Doozergirl wrote: »

Cheap shot comment if ever there was one. Of course I wouldn't take them to the office, that is the entire point of working from home - to keep them in a safe and secure environment.

They are able to keep themselves occupied for a while and if I come away from work to do something for them then the work still gets done because the office doesn't close at the same times!

Cheap shot??? Oh my! It's called 'context'.