I am not one to make New Year’s resolutions, but the first day of year is as good as any to make a decision to change your work arrangement. If you find yourself stressed on a daily basis, or you feel guilty because you have missed important events for your kids or too many family dinners; the New Year may give you the inspiration to re-think your career priorities and start working on negotiating or finding a work arrangement that works for you and your family.

Not everyone needs the same thing when it comes to work and family balance. The key is to figure out your priorities in both your career and your home life, and then think creatively of how you can create a work arrangement that allows you to meet those priorities. Some strategies you can pursue: (more…)

Many companies have found that having a family friendly work environment is good PR. That is, a company can garner great public attention with policies and programs supporting working parents. Whether the company makes a national list such as Working Mother Magazine’s top employers, or a write-up in the local paper, the recognition helps an employer attract new workers, and also builds public support for the company.

Unfortunately in reality, many organizations don’t live up to their family friendly claims. The policies exist, but are not actually utilized in the company. For example, some companies offer a flexible schedule option, but only with the boss’s approval. If your manager doesn’t believe in flexible work, you don’t get the option. Or, your career progress is delayed if you ask for a flexible option. (more…)

If you are a stay-at-home parent looking to return to the outside workforce, you know you have a difficult road ahead of you. A big challenge in the process is talking about your time at home in the job interview. During my HR career, I have interviewed many parents trying to re-enter the workforce and I can tell you, how you talk about your time at home is extremely important to your success in getting a job. (more…)

A change in your work schedule may give you the flexibility you need to better meet the needs of your family. There are many variations of flexible work that you can pursue such as reduced hours, a shift in schedule or an opportunity to work some from home. Such a change could lead to less stress and more time for your family.

Unfortunately, not all companies have policies or practices in place to support working with flexibility. Further, even companies that do have accommodating policies and practices often give individual managers discretion in granting schedule change requests. Therefore, you must be prepared to ask for the schedule you want and overcome your manager’s objections.

The best approach to making a schedule change request is to do so with your company’s best interests in mind. Think about how your request could actually benefit your company. Could your altered schedule or work arrangement be a solution to a problem your company is facing? (more…)