Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Child care considerations when negotiating work flexibility

If you haven’t already organised how you will return to work flexibly, now is a good time to start thinking about. You have probably settled into your new life as a family and you are starting to think about returning to work at some stage.

Negotiating a flexible return to work is a fantastic way for you to cope with the balancing act.

The following factors will impact on the choices you make in negotiating flexibility:

• The cost of child care;
• The location of your child care;
• The logistics of drop-off and pick-up;
• The type of work you perform.

The next step is to assess your duties, tasks and responsibilities. By working flexibly, will some aspects of your job be neglected? Where are the gaps? Do you have any solutions? Will your team be happy with your proposal to work flexibly? Will some members of your team have to take on more work?

The key to negotiating flexibility is to be considerate of all parties that will be impacted. You will need to consider the implications on the business, your customers, and your team. If you acknowledge these implications and propose a solution, your business case will be more credible and well received.

Ask your human resources department for a business case template so you address all relevant issues. Sit down with your manager and discuss your options to work flexibly. Ensure that you seek agreement before returning to work.

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