How Flexible Working Can Help During Term-Time
7th Sep 2022
With the new school year commencing, it’s that time of the year when parents have to find the balance between juggling work alongside school pick-up, drop-offs and after-school activities. Some parents will be new to this if their child or children are just starting nursery or school for the first time.
Term-time jobs aren’t your only option
Many working parents may opt for ‘term-time’ jobs limiting the number of opportunities available or the type of job they can do. We’re here to tell you that flexible working means you don’t necessarily have to give up on your dream career or reduce your working hours significantly if you don’t wish to do so.
We, alongside many other companies, understand the significance and importance of the balance between work and family life. You’ll be pleased to hear there are plenty of inclusive companies offering flexible working arrangements such as; part-time work, flexible working hours, job share; etc. These arrangements are in addition to parental leave and packages to help support the working parent.Flexible working arrangements for parents
We’ll talk more about the different types of flexible working arrangements available to help you decide whether a flexible workplace could benefit you.Work-from-home jobs
Remote working is the most common flexible working arrangement. Not only can it help to cut costs associated with the work commute; but you may also potentially be able to do the school run before commencing work.
Lunchtimes can also be utilised to catch up on things like laundry, ironing or cleaning whilst your child/children are away or to relax and just have some you-time before the afternoon chaos!Job share opportunities
Job share enables you to share a full-time role with two or more people. Many parents might not be able to continue working full-time, but still require the additional source of income or wish to continue pursuing their careers. Being a full-time parent is a job in itself, so this is a great option for working parents.Jobs with flexible working hours
Companies might have core hours, for example, 11-3; the remainder of the hours can be worked around family commitments. Other companies may have full flexible working hours.
Flexibility with working hours makes managing childcare commitments during term-time so much easier enabling you to balance work and personal commitments more effectively.Part-time jobs
Part-time jobs are one of the most popular working arrangements for working parents, with a reduction in the number of hours you work, enabling you to achieve a good balance between work and family life with some extra income.
Oliver Taylor, Account Manager at Flexa says:
"Flexible working has allowed me to remain present in my children’s lives enabling me to create a bond which I otherwise wouldn’t get if I were working in an office full-time. Working flexibly enables me to do the school pick-up and drop-off and spend valuable quality time with them, whether that be through swimming or bike rides. More importantly, I can provide my partner with the support she deserves and she doesn't have to sacrifice her own career to take care of the children we have together. This has also had a positive effect on our relationship and improved our overall well-being”Companies that are inclusive of working parents
There are a number of family-friendly employers that have been Flexified, operating across various different industries. To name a few:
- Ably is a remote-first company with its core hours being 11-3 pm. They offer a number of benefits for parents including, enhanced parental leave, adoption leave, shared parental leave and more. You can also find out more about Ably’s commitment to inclusive parental leave from People Partner, Gaia Corno.
- Planes provide a 3-4 days work-from-home policy alongside core hours of 11-3 pm. Some of their other benefits include shared parental leave and enhanced maternity and paternity leave. Get a sneak peek at what it’s really like to be a parent at Planes.
- Juro offers 3-4 days of work-from-home and core hours of 11-3 pm, they are also open to part-time employees.
- Unleashed is remote first and offers fully flexible working hours. There are a number of benefits in place, providing both support and flexibility for parents.
- Paddle is a remote-first company with fully flexible working hours. They are open to part-time employees and have some other really incredible benefits which you can check out.