Amazing things happen when trade unions and employers work together to make things better for staff. After an unimaginable two years for NHS workers, here’s some recent stories of how union-negotiated flexible working is making work better.
Claire, Operational Service Manager 👩🏽💻
I applied for flexible working recently and it was approved. I worked in the office on site throughout the pandemic, but I have just had my flexible working request approved to work one day at home. I usually pick the day when I am likely to be on Teams meetings all morning anyway. It works well for my team and has given me much better work-life balance. The process of applying was straightforward and I received a decision within 4 weeks of applying. It has made a massive difference to home life.
Kirsty, Nurse 👩⚕️
I have had a flexible working arrangement in place since March this year. I found the process really easy. It has made a huge improvement to my work life balance! I feel less stressed both at work and home. I can more easily arrange childcare, and my mental health has improved. Having set days means I know what I am doing each week. Before, I felt like I didn’t know if I was coming or going. I couldn’t get on top of things at home. Now, I get to spend quality time with my family and we can plan and arrange things easily.
Louise, Community Midwife 👼🏾
Flexible working is a massive relief and has made me happier and meant that I’m feeling a lot less stressed. Making the request was made easy for me by my Manager – we discussed what was possible, and I completed a simple form, with an agreement that my arrangement will be reviewed every 6 months. The biggest obstacle for me is senior managers – they can sometimes try to change working shifts – but most of my team, and my manager, are on board. If I couldn’t have a flexible working arrangement in place, I would have left the NHS.
Sarah, Nursing Support Worker 👩⚕️
I have two children, one who has a disability. Formal childcare is very limited in my area and I do not have the support of family to help me. My part time hours are spread over the week to enable me to drop off and pick up the kids from school. Recently, a member of the team left and some of the hours were offered to me. I was able to get agreement that I would do these working from home, as the pandemic has shown that we can work well remotely. Because my manager has helped my work-life balance, it means I’m keen to be flexible back where I can.
Angela, Senior Information Analyst 📊
We’ve had flexible working in place for a while now, being able to adjust hours and working times when necessary for caring responsibilities. This included working from home during the pandemic, and the Trust is supporting remote working where possible. This has greatly increased my work life balance and our bosses have seen no drop in performance, in fact they commented that it had improved if anything