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Original poster

OK, so how many MEN have asked for flexible working and got it?

42 replies

chocolatekimmy · 03/04/2007 14:27

Do you know any and how did they get on?

I am also interested to hear how it was received by the employer - was it taken seriously and did it have any effect after?

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 03/04/2007 14:45

I'd like to hear of some too. this will only stop being a womens issue when men start doing it too.

suejonez · 03/04/2007 14:51

as an employer we have just agreed to a flexible working arrangement with one of our male employees. two days in the office, the rest at home, lower basic, higher commission (he's in sales) which provided he sells as much will result in same pay for him. He has one DC and another on the way and wanted to spend less time commuting.

suejonez · 03/04/2007 14:53

oh and thinking about it two of our male director work form home once a week and I leave at 5pm (ofice hours 5.30) and make up the extra either at lunch or take work home - so I guess we ahve more men working flexibly than women only 24 people in the company though.

BizzyDint · 03/04/2007 14:53

yes i've got it. i got the hours i asked for.

Lio · 03/04/2007 14:53

dh asked for it and got it (4 days a week)

BizzyDint · 03/04/2007 14:54

oops, just re read OP. no dh hasn't asked for it. sorry!

Dottydot · 03/04/2007 15:01

I know it's not exactly the same, but when dp had ds1 I got 6 weeks off (2 weeks paternity leave + 4 weeks annual leave!) and then got approval to work full-time flexibly - 4 days in the office and a day a week at home.

bossykate · 03/04/2007 15:04

hatwoman's dh does. i knew of several men doing this at my last employer. only know of one at my current firm.

Original poster
chocolatekimmy · 03/04/2007 15:20

Just to say, as part of my job I have been involved in agreeing to about 20 requests. The thing at my company though is that it is a 24/7 operation so its shift work and its often been a case of allowing someone to move from nights to earlies or a day shift for example which can be accomodated because of the size of the place and the numbers employed. There have also been cases of guys moving from 5 days per week (8hrs) to 4 days a week (10 hours).

I'm more interested in guys who work a basic 5 day week with relatively 'normal' hours. Either in an office or the construction industry for example.

OP posts:
suejonez · 03/04/2007 15:54

as I say, we have allowed this. We work a standard 9-5.30 day based in an office. Our (male) IT director works Weds from home so he can drop off and pick up his kids that day as his DW can't do it that day due to her own job.

bran · 03/04/2007 16:03

I know someone who works in the head office of a big bank who went down to 3 days a week. His employers weren't terribly happy about it though, and probably wouldn't have allowed it if it weren't for the fact that they need him. I think he may have said the alternative would be for him to leave. Now him employers are saying they want him to go back to full time from the summer.

Tinkerdumpsandruns · 03/04/2007 16:07

I don't know any who have asked for it but they would certainly get it if they did from my employer. Do know someone who has the whole of August off to go on holiday though.

bran · 03/04/2007 16:08

Actually, now that I think about it, DH works 4 days a week but that's so that he can work one day a week at his own company not so that he can spend more time with his family.

A friend of his also works four days a week, also in an investment bank, but he went into it part-time rather than being full time and applying for flexible working.

suejonez · 03/04/2007 16:09

I think a lot of men would be worried about asking in case it affected their career. Women seem to be able to accept that it may do that but do it anyway. Bit of a sweeping statement I know.

How many men really feel equally responsible for chidlcare arragnement I wonder. I'm single so I don't have any experince of it.

cat64 · 03/04/2007 16:11

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster
chocolatekimmy · 03/04/2007 20:42

Some interesting comments - thanks

OP posts:
CristinaTheAstonishing · 03/04/2007 20:47

Three years ago DH told his employers (a foreign bank in the City, he used to work in IT) he needs to leave early (4.30-5) twice a week. Then he changed jobs and in his next job he asked his employers to work 3 days a week. He did this for another year, retrained in the other 2 days and now changed careers and works 3 days a week self-employed. He's not ambitious at all, but is assertive and knew that he wanted to change jobs altogether.

FrayedKnot · 03/04/2007 20:48

DH has been negotiating with one of his team for a few weeks on this subject.

I got very cross with him about it the other night, but actually he was prepared to look at it, but HIS boss (DH's I mean) was very unsupportive, so I don;t think the bloke got very far.

He wanted to do 5 days over 4 days as his DW was retruning to work and they wanted to minimise childcare costs.

DH argument was this guy was a teamleader and needed to be there to manage his team.

On further questioning, it turned out one of the team is very unreliable, hence needing someone there to check his every move.

I said, well if you've employed someone who is a complete liability, it's your own chuffin' faults, but not the guy who wants the flexible working. And we had a bit of a disagreement...

puddle · 03/04/2007 20:48

My dp used to work three days a week. It was easy to negotiate - he is a teacher. He has recently gone back to full time teaching.

Two men in my team work flexibly - both work a day at home to be able to see more of their children. they also work flexible hours to enable drop off and pick ups.

I also work flexibly so have set a precedent that they are taking advantage of - I am delighted they asked me and very very happy for them to be setting their own precedent for other fathers in the team.

The main effect for them is that it ties them in to our employer - both are worried about getting similar arrangements agreed elsewhere.

stargate · 03/04/2007 22:00

dh changed his working week when dd1 was 9mths to accomodate my promotion - at the time he was shift working so did fri, sat, sun whilst i did mon to thurs 9-5. 2 months later dh got promotion to a 9-5 post and negiotated 4 longer days with no issues raising but then his boss is female and has her own flexible working arrangement.

but actually all in all our company (we both work for same one) offer flexible working to all parents of under 5's. haven't yet come across anyone say no.

ravenAK · 03/04/2007 22:04

Dh works one day a week at home term time (I'm a teacher).

He's expected to be available on his mobile & be within reach of a pc to use the firm's virtual workspace.

geekgrrl · 03/04/2007 22:15

dh does a 4 day week - supposedly 32 hours but he often does a bit of overtime (paid). He's a contractor though so the situation is different. If they're on a tight deadline for a project he will do 5 days without complaining.
I think he just asked and they said ok, as long as he was flexible with working extra when required.

jellybellynally · 03/04/2007 22:15

dh does flexible hours - works for nhs

Elizabeth123 · 04/04/2007 16:47

I work as a lawyer in central government. My dept is awash with male lawyers flexibly working. In my last 2 teams there was 1 in a 3 day a week job share, 2 working part time without job shares and 1 working 1 day a week from home. Lots of women flexibly working too. As far as lawyers gop flexible working is verty much a public sector, non-City thing - I don't know any male City lawyers below partner who flexibly work - unless flexible means all day every day.

Califrau · 04/04/2007 16:54

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