The option
.
For those that like the idea of flexible working there are plenty of options: part-time; flexi-time; job sharing; annualised hours; compressed hours; staggered hours and homeworking.
.
In addition there are variations on these themes.
.
Such as term-time working and school hours working.
.
It all comes down to the relationship with the boss and how amenable they are to your demands.
.
Going part-time means simply working less hours
.
While flexi-time enables you to choose your hours, although there's usually a core period during which you are expected to work.
.
Job sharing, meanwhile, sees you combining with someone else to do a job designed for one person.
.
For example, each of you doing two-and-a- half days a week
.
Annualised means your hours will be worked out over a year with the normal practice being a set number of shifts to which you add your own agreed hours.
.
A compressed arrangement will see you working the same amount of hours but in a few days.
.
While staggered involves having different starting and finishing times for employees in the same workplace.
.
Finally there is homeworking, which does away with the commute.
.
And the expense of having an employee in the office.
.
As their job is done from the comfort of their own house.
.
The hours spent dedicated to company business – or amount of work needed to be finished – will be down to an agreement struck with the boss.
.
Your entitlement
.
The good news is that anyone can ask their employer for flexible working arrangements and the law also provides a statutory right to make this request if you meet certain criteria.
.
Such as having worked for the same firm for 26 continuous weeks
.
If this is the case they can ask if, for example, they have parental responsibility for a child under 17-years-old (or a disabled child under 18 that receives Disability Living Allowance).
.
Or they act as a carer for a relative.
.
Or an adult that's unrelated but who lives at the same address.
.
However, although the employer must seriously consider the application, they can decline it where there is a legitimate business ground.
.
A good suggestion is anyone wanting to change their hours puts themselves into the manager's shoes and come up with a viable solution.
.
Don't just say you want to change hours as all you're doing then is giving your manager a problem.
.
Try to understand what your job means to the organisation.
.
You know your job better than anyone else, and so are best placed to see a way of doing it differently.
.
Work for yourself
.
Of course, the ultimate flexibility is being your own boss.
.
On the face of it you can set your own hours, decide how much to pay yourself and give yourself bonus days off when the sun is shining.
.
But it's certainly not stress-free.
.
As well as potentially being the passport to a more lucrative and enjoyable way of life, starting your own business can be one of the riskiest and stressful moves you can ever make.
.
And is likely to require even more hours being put in until it's properly up and running.
.
Other considerations
.
For all these flexible options there are financial issues to consider.
.
For example, if their new flexible working arrangement reduces the hours worked it will affect their income and probably their pension benefits.
.
People need to consider what impact the new working arrangement will have on their finances in the short and the long term.
.
People should do a budgeting exercise to see the true impact of any changes because it might change their ability to save for school fees
.
University costs or deposits for a house move.
.
Over the longer-term the main issue will be their pension.
.
It is important that people take into account what reduced hours might mean for their pension benefits.
.
It might mean that working less now will result in having to work later in life.
.
Even if the finances are negatively affected, it is still important to balance this against the positive reasons for wanting a more flexible working arrangement.
.
Such as getting to spend more quality time with your children and improving your quality of life
.
There are, of course, other pros and cons of striking the perfect work-life balance.
.
It's also good to keep family life separate but this isn't always possible.
.
When the smartphone pings at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon and it takes all the willpower in the world not to go and check it in case it's something interesting!
.
Of course there are other pros and cons however the main thing is to be honest with yourself.
.
Do not get to forty something saying I wish I had done this or that
.
You did or you didn't.
.
That was you, your life that was.
.
What will you do?
Such as term-time working and school hours working.
.
It all comes down to the relationship with the boss and how amenable they are to your demands.
.
Going part-time means simply working less hours
.
While flexi-time enables you to choose your hours, although there's usually a core period during which you are expected to work.
.
Job sharing, meanwhile, sees you combining with someone else to do a job designed for one person.
.
For example, each of you doing two-and-a- half days a week
.
Annualised means your hours will be worked out over a year with the normal practice being a set number of shifts to which you add your own agreed hours.
.
A compressed arrangement will see you working the same amount of hours but in a few days.
.
While staggered involves having different starting and finishing times for employees in the same workplace.
.
Finally there is homeworking, which does away with the commute.
.
And the expense of having an employee in the office.
.
As their job is done from the comfort of their own house.
.
The hours spent dedicated to company business – or amount of work needed to be finished – will be down to an agreement struck with the boss.
.
Your entitlement
.
The good news is that anyone can ask their employer for flexible working arrangements and the law also provides a statutory right to make this request if you meet certain criteria.
.
Such as having worked for the same firm for 26 continuous weeks
.
If this is the case they can ask if, for example, they have parental responsibility for a child under 17-years-old (or a disabled child under 18 that receives Disability Living Allowance).
.
Or they act as a carer for a relative.
.
Or an adult that's unrelated but who lives at the same address.
.
However, although the employer must seriously consider the application, they can decline it where there is a legitimate business ground.
.
A good suggestion is anyone wanting to change their hours puts themselves into the manager's shoes and come up with a viable solution.
.
Don't just say you want to change hours as all you're doing then is giving your manager a problem.
.
Try to understand what your job means to the organisation.
.
You know your job better than anyone else, and so are best placed to see a way of doing it differently.
.
Work for yourself
.
Of course, the ultimate flexibility is being your own boss.
.
On the face of it you can set your own hours, decide how much to pay yourself and give yourself bonus days off when the sun is shining.
.
But it's certainly not stress-free.
.
As well as potentially being the passport to a more lucrative and enjoyable way of life, starting your own business can be one of the riskiest and stressful moves you can ever make.
.
And is likely to require even more hours being put in until it's properly up and running.
.
Other considerations
.
For all these flexible options there are financial issues to consider.
.
For example, if their new flexible working arrangement reduces the hours worked it will affect their income and probably their pension benefits.
.
People need to consider what impact the new working arrangement will have on their finances in the short and the long term.
.
People should do a budgeting exercise to see the true impact of any changes because it might change their ability to save for school fees
.
University costs or deposits for a house move.
.
Over the longer-term the main issue will be their pension.
.
It is important that people take into account what reduced hours might mean for their pension benefits.
.
It might mean that working less now will result in having to work later in life.
.
Even if the finances are negatively affected, it is still important to balance this against the positive reasons for wanting a more flexible working arrangement.
.
Such as getting to spend more quality time with your children and improving your quality of life
.
There are, of course, other pros and cons of striking the perfect work-life balance.
.
It's also good to keep family life separate but this isn't always possible.
.
When the smartphone pings at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon and it takes all the willpower in the world not to go and check it in case it's something interesting!
.
Of course there are other pros and cons however the main thing is to be honest with yourself.
.
Do not get to forty something saying I wish I had done this or that
.
You did or you didn't.
.
That was you, your life that was.
.
What will you do?
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