New York Monthly Herald. June 2006 Issue P. 67

CAREERS. From the desk of Maximillien de Lafayette

The great thing about family-friendly practices is that they work - and employers as well as employees benefit from them. All you need to do is work out the strategies and make your case. On an individual level, encourage those around you who seem to achieve a good work-life balance. If you're in a managerial position, never criticize or allow criticism of a colleague who leaves work at an agreed time for family commitments. This is good family-friendly working, and it should be aspired to!

DEALING WITH YOUR BOSS

Two women talking

Negotiating your rights

Parents of children under the age of six (or disabled children under the age of 18) have the right to apply for flexible working and employers are obliged to take any such requests seriously and deal with them properly. But what' the best way to ask?

A golden opportunity for change

On 6 April 2003 the Government introduced the right for all parents to request to work flexibly, and obliged employers to consider these requests seriously. If you'd like to take advantage of this, the first thing you must do is think carefully about what changes you'd like and plan a strategy that will work for you and your boss. Remember, this isn't a right to change - it's a chance to have your point of view heard and for it to be given fair consideration. Under your new rights, you must make your case in writing and your employer must arrange a meeting to consider your request within four weeks.

Know what you want

Before you put pen to paper, you need to do a little research into what you want and how likely you are to get it. Think about how you'd like to work: is it practical? Be as imaginative as you can, but remember to look at the situation from your employer's point of view too. Talk to other people who have experience or expertise that may help your case. If you're a member of a union, talk to its equal opportunities official, and have a chat with your company's human resources department. Find out how flexibility is working elsewhere in the organization - if it's going well, your boss is more likely to consider your application. Look closely at your contract - it may contain clauses that could help you. And spend time thinking through how your suggestions could be beneficial to your employer. For example, if you're thinking of asking for compressed hours, you could point out that it would give the company telephone cover during lunch hours

Handling negotiations

When talking about your request with your boss, remember these tips:

Start by saying something positive about the company's family-friendly policies, such as a recent achievement or its general openness to change (even if it doesn't seem particularly open to you!).
Stay calm and try not to get emotional.
Aim high, so you have room to negotiate and still end up with a working option that's an improvement on your current conditions.
Think about what your employer's objections are likely to be, and have solutions ready. This will make you sound serious about what you're suggesting.

Getting your answer

Even if you don't get everything you'd hoped for, it's important to remain on good terms with your boss. You have the right to apply for flexible working once a year, so you can always re-think and reapply.

Bear in mind that your boss will be keeping a close eye on any new ways of working that have been introduced. Be aware, and make them aware, that there might be teething difficulties but that these shouldn't write off the whole scheme

_____________________________________________________

Unhappy workers 'at illness risk'

Stressed business woman

Even a small drop on job satisfaction can lead to burnout

Unhappy workers are more likely to become ill, according to a new study. satisfaction are most likely to encounter emotional burnout, reduced self-esteem, anxiety and depression, say researchers. Even a modest drop in job satisfaction could lead to burnout of "considerable clinical importance", the report warned. The study of 250,000 employees was carried out by Lancaster University and Manchester Business School. Depression and anxiety were now the most common reasons for people starting to claim long-term sickness benefits, overtaking illnesses such as back pain, it found. Professor Cary Cooper, of Lancaster University Management School, urged employers to seriously tackle the issue with "innovative policies". "This would be a wise investment given the potential substantial economic and psychological costs of unhappy or dissatisfied workers," he said. "Workers who are satisfied by their jobs are more likely to be healthier as well as happier."

'Automated' : Professor Cooper said the changing nature of work was also having an impact on employee's health. He said: "New working practices and technological advances are rapidly changing the way we work. Many jobs are becoming more automated and inflexible. "Organizations are reducing their permanent workforce and converting to 'outsourcing', which is increasing feelings of job insecurity." He added: "These trends have contributed to a 'workaholic' culture throughout the UK and Europe - a climate that is impacting negatively in the levels of enjoyment and satisfaction employees gain from their work."