To think this 'flexible working' is anything but?

[Caplin]

Hey,

First post but I have been lurking for years.

I have been with my employer for just over a year. I left a job which was mega flexible about home working and working around family commitments. I busted my guts for them but didn't mind because on the flip side I could do all my kids shows/sports day, pick them up form after after school club, be at home for workmen etc. I left due to several restructures, but it was the right time to move on.

My new employer made a big thing about being flexible when I went for interview. I was very excited.

The reality is that the hours are 9-5.30 with very little actual flexibility. If you want to regularly finish at say 5pm, and start at 8.30, then you need to request a permanent change of hours, and you can only do that once a year. After a year I have managed to get a laptop (that took a couple of months) and compressed my hours to finish at 2pm on a Friday, so that I can actually see my kid's teachers once a week.

I have had a couple of afternoons this year where I have been allowed to work from home because my MIL had a heart attack and couldn't pick up my kids.

Because of the 5.30 finish I couldn't get to after school club in time, so now I have a nanny, which costs more but at least I'm not stressed racing to pick up before the deadline, then still having to do homework, dinner, brownies etc.

Today I needed to work from home. I had a gardener coming to repair storm damage to my fence that happened back in October. Now bear in mind I just need to sit here, give him access (only accessible through the house) and let him go to the loo, so I can work perfectly fine and uninterrupted all day.

My boss just said that wasn't a justifiable reason to work from home. So basically thinks I need to take holiday in order to sit around my house twiddling my thumbs.

I am so f#@$ked off that I have traded a totally flexible job based on a lie. I had great work life balance before, now it is dreadful. The frustrating thing is, I know how different it could be, and how much more I would be willing to do for them. But I don't feel like I get anything back when I go above and beyond, so I have started to get really strict at refusing to do anything over my core hours.

For me it feels like they don't trust me to manage my own diary and workload. I am quite senior as well so maybe I am becoming a grumpy old woman.

Anyway, I have started looking for new jobs.....

Thanks all.

I’ve gone from working for a couple of massive global companies (very flexible), to a mid size company which has grown massively from a small start up in the past 5-10 years. They had an MD who was very old fashioned in her views. She left last year and I have been doing all in my power to shift things. I have had some success, my team all now have laptops, we have introduced all the technology, I am flexible with my direct reports.

But change is slow! And my director freaks out if my team are all out or away, even if they are still contactable and working. He gets stressed if he can’t see at least 2 people at their desk (team of 8).

On an average week I put in well over my contracted hours, and regularly work evenings and weekends for events. I rarely take back all my time and I am on call one week in 5.

Luckily I like my work and team, so if it takes a while that is ok, but this isn’t a long term job move, which is a shame.

My work promotes agile working... it isn't.
Presenteeisn and being chained at desk
I also starting to look elsewhere

YANBU at all.
As you are fairly senior though, is it not something you can get put on agendas at a fairly senior level in the company ?
Do a bit of research of the 'top 100 companies' or whatever, and find some evidence about how people value flexibility, and how it is good for retention, and recruitment, so how a change will be good for the company, rather than it coming across as a 'moan' about your own circumstances.

How can you find out in advance if their definition of flexibility is the same as yours without sounding workshy?

My DD found this with her last company. Interview was all yes we're flexible and so long as the work/hours get don, we can accomodate your medical appointments.

Reality was she got hauled in when the bus was late because of an accident. She was only 20mins late and had let them know she was stuck. She had to cancel her appointments and change gp surgeries to one that offered early morning/evening surgeries. She didn't stay long.

Im going through contract negotiations at the moment (on an annual contract moving to perm) and am requesting a letter of variance additional to the standard contract to make it clear what my employer and I have agreed as reasonable flexibility.

This is in practice - (established over the last 2 years)

I work full time hours; I’m in the office approx 9-5 four days per week (usually non-thurs) and make up the additional 8 hours (and then some!!) evenings and weekends

I can work from home by agreement; this can be agreed same day - ((eg if DS is unwell- as long as I get my work done at some point, and I’m available all day for calls/ urgent emails- this is considered working - obviously not possible to write that up though! ))

In the event I can’t work- after dependents leave used up I can use annual leave without notice to look after my child if necessary (I’m a single parent- this is invaluable)

I find my job stressful, and this has been HARD won- but it’s worth it for the flexibility.