Are my flexible working hours considered part-time?

Like many young mums,
I experienced my first child starting school in September. It was an exciting, poignant milestone for all the family.

As my son made his first tentative steps into his new world, gazing wide-eyed at the colourful displays, taking in new sounds and smells, and sizing up his new playmates, I began my own journey.

I am embracing new flexible working hours so that being
a solicitor and a mum can
co-exist. The biggest change is the new hours which allow me to be at the school gates to collect my son – a precious privilege for
any parent.

Realistically, my working day doesn’t exactly end at 2.45pm when I grab my coat and ‘clock off’ for the school run. Far from it. I often start up the laptop once my son is in bed, returning to work with freshness and vigour.

Remote working allows almost everyone, and certainly those who work in professional services, to continue their professional duties away
from the office.

Modern technology has brought a new dimension to flexible working. With 24/7 access to email, telephone,
video conferencing and so on, we have more open channels
of communication than
ever before.

Some may see it as a disadvantage and complain
that our professional life can overwhelm our family life.
Yes it can, but only if you let it.
The option to work outside of conventional hours should be used to achieve a better balance between those two worlds.

Despite having felt a few niggling doubts about flexible working and its potential impact on the service I provide to my clients, the reduction in working hours at the office has not had a detrimental effect.

Clients have six hours in
the day to see me, and should there be a need for a later appointment to accommodate their availability, this can be arranged.

My firm has, for a long time, given great consideration to flexible working and reduced hours. But I wonder whether many firms have such a positive attitude to enabling staff to balance their work and
personal lives.

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson blew fresh air into the debate over flexible working when he announced his new headline-grabbing policy
on holiday entitlement.

‘Have as much time off, whenever you like – providing you get your work done’, he proclaimed. In fact, he said employees should feel “100 per cent comfortable that they and their team are up to date on every project and that their absence will not in any way damage the business.”

One observer said it is the corporate equivalent of an honesty box. The notion certainly takes some getting used to. It
is based on the principle that a good employee fears letting their work colleagues down. Any exceptions, arguably, should not be working in that particular job.

Of course, we all like to think we are indispensable. And few
of us would ever admit to being 100 per cent on top of every project, would we? By applying the rule are we also admitting that we will not be missed?

Sir Richard’s policy-that-isn’t is a fascinating idea and if nothing else, gets people thinking and talking about alternative ways
of working.

Job shares

One of the most stated cons
of flexible working hours is the
fact it may require a job share, making the costs higher with two members of staff rather
than one.

There is also a potential for
a lack of continuity if there are two people working on tasks, plus the fear that ‘part-timers’ will be less respected and overlooked for promotion
as they are not seen as committed as those working full-time.

Are there positives to having part-time staff and should managers take more time to consider part-time requests from existing staff?

The obvious advantage is the cost saving should a full-time member move to part-time without a job share. Yet there are further savings that are not so immediately obvious, such
as not having to train new members of staff, retaining
staff who know your working practices and procedures, and who in turn are mentors for any new staff.

Am I considered a part-time member of staff, or am I still doing the same amount of hours just not office-based,
with no negative impact on productivity, profitability and client care?

For me, flexible working
has provided a way to balance family and work life. Most importantly, I am hoping it
will also allow both to thrive. SJ

Claire Currie is a partner at Kirwans 

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