Working from home, the buzz words of 2020. I used to be in a minority and now “everyone” is doing it. We’ve seen debates about increased productivity, decreased productivity, interrupted zoom calls and now we’re seeing talk of decreased pay for those working from home and even ideas of increased tax as thoughts turn to money saved.
Continue reading “Reflecting on 10 Years of Working from Home”
We’ve seen increasing numbers of organisations announce plans to continue remote working for set periods of time or permanently. Whilst tech firms seem to be leading, traditional industries including law firms are also seeing announcements of homeworking. Announcements have been mixed between enforced and optional remote working.
Continue reading “Remote working – Is it really the new normal?”
This year was the first year I’ve been able to attend the Festival of Work, therefore as a starting place for reflections I have to start with the inclusive nature of a remote conference. I’ve come away with pages of notes, feeling inspired and energised. All without leaving my sofa (oh except for when I jumped on the exercise bike for one of the sessions). Continue reading “Festival of Work”
With the current situation in America following the murder of George Floyd, I finally got the kick I needed to write the blog I have been thinking about writing for a while. You may be thinking, another blogger jumped on the bandwagon and to a certain extent you’d be right. My planned blog was actually in response to reading Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez, a different form of inequality I know, but events this week have got me thinking more about how the theme applies. Continue reading “Why asking questions is vital to stopping everyday racism”
Having worked from home for over 10 years with two national companies before I started Silk Helix, I’m strongly in favour of working from home. I’ve been there, got the t-shirt and I’m still wearing it! That said, some effort is needed to make it work as it didn’t work equally in the companies I previously worked for. Continue reading “Making Homeworking Work”
According to a TUC poll, one in three requests for flexible working are being turned down and this rises to nearly two thirds for those in “working class” occupations. Continue reading “Is rejecting flexible working harming your business?”
“If you wouldn’t say it or do it in front of your parents, partner or a close friend of the same or opposite sex, don’t say it, don’t do it;”
This is a line from an Employee Handbook, a line I’ve seen not just once in my career. With recent focus on sexual harassment, this may seem like well meant advice to potential perpetrators. Continue reading “Underestimating Harassment, Power and Control”
Working nine to five, commuting to an office where everyone else works the same hours, is a working pattern that’s familiar to most and useful to few.
Increasingly we’re seeing recognition that nine to five doesn’t suit parents. I’m not convinced working mums are as new a phenomenon as we’re lead to believe, however we have seen women’s role in the workplace change. This is also men’s role in the home and therefore their role in the workplace as well. Continue reading “Businesses are starving themselves of skills by insisting on the Nine to Five”