Public Servant Lifestyle

Family friendly options in the work place play a big part in achieving that work-life balance we all strive for. But what are the options if you are a working parent in the police force and how can you go about benefiting from them?

Flexible working provides the opportunity for people to give their best at work and at home. It isn’t necessarily about working less – it’s about having more control over when, where and how you work.

There are a growing number of reasons why the public sector is rethinking work practices, including childcare, further education and training, caring for elderly relatives, voluntary work and increasing the quality and balance of life.

Since April 2003, parents of children under the age of six years - or 18 if disabled - have had the right to request to work flexibly to enable them to balance their work and home commitments. From 6 April this year, this right to request flexible working will be extended to the 2.6 million employees who care for spouses, near relatives or anyone sharing the employee’s home.

For working parents, a flexible working option as well as other employer supported assistance, including childcare vouchers and emergency childcare, can be the answer to the work/life juggling act that many of us face.

By offering family friendly options, forces are more likely to retain your services, this in turn cuts the cost of recruitment – advertising, interviewing, selecting and training – as well as keeping all the skills and experience that only time can build. With this extra adaptability the organisation should also be able to manage peaks and troughs in demand more effectively, and provide a better service to the public.

For example, Childcare Vouchers in particular have seen a surge in popularity since the tax and NI free cap on them was raised by the Government to £55 a week in 2006. They are usually offered as a salary sacrifice scheme whereby working parent takes a portion of their wage, which is tax and NI free, and pay for their childcare with it. The benefits extend to the employer, who does not have to pay National Insurance on that portion of the wage. A working parent could save up to £1,195 a year on their childcare costs, depending on their salary and tax band, and an employer could save around £370 per employee taking their full entitlement.

What does flexible working actually mean?

Flexible working encompasses a wide variety of work patterns, including:

Part time – in basic terms this applies to staff who fewer hours than full time, e.g. working 20 hours over 3 days rather than 37 hours over 5 days

Job share – usually involves two members of staff forming a partnership covering one full time post. Within this partnership the split does not necessarily have to be 50:50, an arrangement can be made to suit both partners’ needs

Compressed hours – allowing people to work their total number of hours over fewer days, e.g. working full-time hours over 4 days instead of 5

Voluntary reduced hours – a temporary reduction in working hours should be available in all forces, but may be given a different name

Flexi time – allowing staff to choose their start and finish times at work, whilst covering a set core period

Annual hours – works on the basis of agreeing a fixed number of hours over a year, then calculating the hours on a monthly basis, i.e. instead of a five-week shift pattern

Term time working – staff with childcare responsibilities working during school term time and either not working during school holidays or working reduced hours

Variable working hours – staff work varying hours rather than set hours, for example designing a rota on a weekly basis

Home/teleworking – staff working mainly from home or at a geographically separate site and communicating with their HQ /base station via phone and e-mail

At the moment only some of these options are offered by most forces, but things are changing. There is fierce competition in the jobs marketplace and chief officers are starting to realise that new and innovative ways of working are needed to attract, keep and reward high quality staff.

Association of Chief Police Officers of England Wales and Northern Ireland (ACPO) and Home Office researchers have found examples of all of the above work patterns in forces around the UK – evidence that flexible working is possible and can be successful within the police service.

The Ups & The Downs

Officers requesting flexible working have sometimes faced old fashioned attitudes and misconceptions about alternative work patterns – e.g. a perceived lack of commitment, part time means part able, it’s something only requested by ‘difficult’ members of staff, a case of ‘the tail wagging the dog’ etc.

They have also experienced feelings of isolation, a lack of development opportunities and pressure from others because they have broken away from the mainstream and the long hours culture. However, the same officers have overcome these hurdles by knowing their entitlements, being flexible, accepting compromise, presenting solutions and not problems. Seeking out support from mentors and colleagues in a similar position has also kept them confident and determined.

And one of the most effective ways to win over the doubters is to sell the benefits – make sure supervisors and managers know that flexible working provides advantages to employers as well as employees, if possible giving examples of good practice.

How do I broach the subject of flexible working with my manager? Do your research. Check whether your force has any policies regarding flexible working, for example a scheme for returning part time after maternity leave, a job share or a working at home policy. If you can’t find details of the option you are interested in, suggest it anyway. New ideas may be favourably received – you don’t know if you don’t ask!

Prepare your case. Think about alternatives that will meet your needs and draw up a preference list starting with the ideal arrangement but with a fall back and a least preferred option as well.

Try to anticipate questions your boss may ask, such as:

How would a different working arrangement affect the work you do?

If you work fewer hours how would you get the job done?

What about the impact on your colleagues?

How will this arrangement benefit the organisation?

Arrange a meeting with your line manager to discuss possibilities and procedure. It may also be a good idea to have an informal chat first to get a feeling for the reaction and find out the best way to proceed. Try to be flexible. You and your manager should try to negotiate working patterns which fit both the organisation’s and the individual’s needs. Take time to consider any alternative suggestions made by your manager.

“I’d like to help, but…”

If your supervisor or manager turns down your request, ask the reasons for the refusal and whether he/she can suggest any alternative solutions – be prepared to compromise. You can also seek advice from your personnel department, your force’s equal opportunities officer or a more senior manager.

Try to re-negotiate, perhaps with support from personnel or a staff association representative. Try to find out what concerns your manager may have and how these can be resolved – the answers to the most common questions your boss may have can be found on web sites and documents listed under the ‘Useful contacts’ section of this leaflet. Seriously consider alternative suggestions put forward by your manager or personnel staff.

Useful Contacts

The www.dti.gov.uk/ (DTI) website outlines all flexible working options frequently asked questions, real life examples, relevant rules and regulations, and details of more than 50 organisations and websites which may help you. Call 020 7215 5000 or visit www.dti.gov.uk/employment/workandfamilies/flexibleworking

Home Office report on ‘Flexible working practices in the police service’ written by Rachel Tuffin. Visit www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds.It can be found in the Police Research Series, Paper 147

Find out if your force runs a childcare voucher scheme. If they don’t, you can get an information pack by calling Accor Services on 0845 330 4406 or emailing ccv@accorservices.co.uk. For further information visit www.childcarevouchers.co.uk.

This article has been supplied by Accor Services in partnership with the British Association for Women in Policing (BAWP).

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