To think that workplaces should be less accommodating of personal lives?

It really depends there are people put there having serious issues in their personal lives things that you lucky have never and hopefully will never experience hence this post.

On the other hand there are people who absolutely take the piss I used to work with a young man who had a pathetic excuse ready every day for why he was late and then would act the victim constantly.

Don’t recognise the description of mums not being reliable employees given above, not in 25 yrs of working have I seen that stereotype, and heavily smacks of sexism.

Think what you like (Kemi/Jacob). Most employers are finding flexibility, compassion and appreciating that employees are whole people with complex lives leads to a happier, more engaged and ultimately more productive workforce. Those that don’t adapt will ultimately find that their workforce will vote with their feet.

Although I have to say when DH had cancer I noticed that I was treated differently to the parents that had problems. I stand by them completely being supported but the difference was very stark and I don’t feel particularly loyal now.

I've managed to hang on to some amazing employees who have complicated home lives by being flexible and understanding. And I'm staying in my current role rather than taking a much less flexible one and a pay rise of around 30% because my current employer affords me flexibility. (I recognise that I'm incredibly fortunate to be in a position to be able to make that choice.)

In an environment of largely stagnant real wage growth and tight company budgets, flexibility becomes as much a part of the employment package as annual leave or pension contributions - less tangible but very valuable to many. The trick is to ensure it works for the organisation and that the people receiving the flexibility remain productive.

Why do you ask? What’s the impact on you of this very woolly generalisation?

This feels like an essay prompt 😂

"Employees should keep their personal issues separate from work? Discuss."

It’s going to be a rare life where nothing ever comes up; illness, divorce, death. If your employees are with you for years they’re going to go through one or all three and many more plus!

I think if someone is coming in moaning every day or their behaviour affects others that’s another story. This is such a case by case question it’s so hard to say.

So he never had to have time off either with the children?

if in having issues in my personal life and struggling in some way that has direct impact on my work performance.

And this is why so many employers are complaining they can’t recruit, can’t retain, can’t performance manage, can’t deliver and productivity is low.

The UK has a huge issue with productivity just not matching the hours people are in the workplace.

You can pay someone to work to the letter of their employment contract but it’s very difficult as an employer to buy commitment, focus, collaboration, flexibility etc.

People are people, not machines. It’s your job as an employing manager to work out how to get the best out of people. Alternatively enjoy being mired in grievances, tribunals, PIPs etc. All of which is hugely time consuming.

If everyone in our dept decided tomorrow to only work their contracted hours and days, the whole place would fall apart. An enormous amount of productivity relies on goodwill and flexibility on both sides.

I worked somewhere like this when I was younger. The whole place was a disaster. Labour turnover was sky-high, and there were very few experienced team members. No one stuck around long, because management expected them to place work above all else.

It was well known by competitors in the area. I was directly headhunted by another manager, and pretty much her first ‘selling point’ was ‘obviously there’s flexibility with days off and things’.

There are boundaries, but supporting staff is reasonable, it's up the employer to mitigate the effects on other people. I used to manage someone who left an abusive marriage with her children, she was then the only one who could take time off when her children were poorly etc; but she was a brilliant employee- really lovely to work with, supportive of the rest of the team, knowledgeable and very capable. Supporting her with some additional days off was a small price to pay for what we got in return. Plus, it's the decent thing to do. Sure boundaries are important and some people take the piss, but there are benefits morally and from a business perspective in being a flexible employer.

How right you are! Part of the reason I went freelance. I am a woman, but I got tired of 'picking up' in the team spirit after other mums. Can I leave early today - Toby has a concert? Oh, Mary is ill, I am not coming in for a few days. Work never had to stop, we had to pick up after 'independent hard working women'. My 'tobies' also had concerts, and my 'maries also went ill', but that is why my dh and I decided for him to go part-time in a low paid job, so I would concentrate and work like a horse and not bother others with my 'personal life', which is, incidentally, of no interest to anyone.

Best manager and the one I went above and beyond for was great at work life balance. He was very tolerant when I was pregnant and puked every day / sending me home most days. But when I wasn’t pregnant I worked so damn hard for him, more than any manager I have ever had. I stayed late, went the extra mile as I knew he would have my back.

Nobody exists in a vacuum, you can't separate the two out entirely. People are constantly 'flexible' at home, dealing with work stresses, those times when you have to work late/start early, do that extra thing, etc. Surely the psychological contact means work needs to be flexible, too?

When I was working in a managerial role, I did all I could to accommodate my team and support them with genuine issues and emergencies. Life happens to all of us. Obviously there were boundaries, but people who know that they can be honest when they need support tend to make far happier, more motivated and loyal employees. It’s a win win as far as I’m concerned. And people matter.
Hope you aren’t a manager OP.

I am a very good employee. I have a niche set of skills. I have also disabled children and can only work as my employer is very supportive and accomodating. Should people like me not be able to work a living and should companies lose good staff because some idiots think it's too accommodating to have a good amount of flexibility? you seriously need to get your head examined, op

We try to manage out managers who think like this.

Just saying.
Employee wellbeing is a thing.

Some of you are absolutely clueless I swear.

Some facts for you:

We have an aging population which means more working age people than ever are having to care for sick and elderly parents.

Should they just be left alone to die in a care home?

We have one of the most expensive childcare systems in the world meaning that parents often need to be able to work flexibly to minimise the amount of childcare they need to pay for.

Or should all women exit the workplace to care for babies a la 1950?

1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime meaning many of the working age population either has cancer or is caring for a spouse or family member with it.

I suppose that’s their own fault eh?

7million people are on an NHS waiting list. Many of them are working age. This means that we have a very sick population that are not being treated quickly enough for their health conditions and are, as a result, getting sicker.

I guess they should have been smart enough to save up and get private healthcare?

These are the realities of the world and whether employers like it or not they are their problems. They are the problems of the working age population and employers have no choice but to adapt to them because who else is going to work for them?

Unhappy employees who do not feel respected and cared about are not productive. They also leave as soon as they find a better employer, and an employer like that will be left only with employees who can't find work elsewhere rather than the top talent you want to be attracting to a business.

I would rather have happy, engaged employees who feel confident to share when something is going on in their personal lives which might impact their work, and know that I will do what I can to be flexible for them, than miserable employees who know I see them just as a resource to use and abuse.

Hi Kemi! 👋🏻

Taking a break from the leadership contest shenanigans?

Employers who have happy and content employees generally get more work completed and pay out less in sickness and settlements etc. There is a balance but if you accommodate personal life in the sense of flexibility and trust etc, it is normal for employers to be rewarded by their employees for doing so.