Dose anyone have true flexible working where they work? Can you take day off every two weeks or start at 8 and leave at 4 without getting a poor image? My company claims that this is the case however there are only 2 3 I know of who do this in the whole company and they get a really bad reputation for doing so. Most people are expected to work more that there contracted hours on a daily basis.
I generally work 8-4, giving me study time in the evenings. When work levels are high I work longer and when they're low (or I had a late night!) I come in a bit later. Several colleagues work 10-6 and another does slightly longer days Mon-Thurs so that they can leave early most Fridays. I'm very lucky to be in such an environment, but it helps that the work I do doesn't require too many face to face meetings. Generally, if the workload is high enough that deadlines are a problem or staff work a lot over contracted hours for a prolongued period it is noticed & acted upon. Unfortunately, when work volumes are high staff will increase their hours to cover it for fear of being branded a "slacker" or out of self-motivation not to leave work outstanding. Employers aren't going to discourage this (other than to reiterate regulations on taking regular breaks) because of the money it saves them. It becomes a vicious circle as each member of staff takes on more work & more hours. On the other hand, does anyone realistically believe the 7/7.5/8/8.5 hours per day that they're contracted to do when they take a job?
Im only required to be in the office 7 hours a day, although once in a while Ill stay later up to about 45 mins. I think that your work hours and flexibility largely depends on 2 things: company culture and type of company. I would expect that consultancies are less flexible with regards to study leave cos they have tight deadlines to meet, whereas a life company will generally be more flexible. In terms of work hours, Id expect a similar pattern to emerge. There is more difficulty involved in analysing the culture part, but I would say that if everyone in the company manages to leave on time, then its likely that actuaries will also be allowed to leave on time without any raised eyebrows. Of course, its difficult for someone to find out about these things unless theyve actually joined the company, so its usually a lottery as far as culture is concerned. However, again, its probably safe to say that youre more likely to be allowed to leave on time if you work in a life company compared to a consultancy. In particular, Id expect that a closed fund company to be more flexible and work-life-balance friendly compared to a company that actively seeks new business. Im not sure which country you work in, but if its in the UK, then youd usually have quite a good deal compared with people in some other countries. For instance, I know that in Singapore, theres a company that only provides 3 days study per CT exam first sitting and work hours are 9am to at least 8pm. AND while youre taking your study day, youre still expected to respond to any work-related calls and queries. It goes without saying that youll be asked back to work if your exam was during the morning. To cap it all off, you have to pay for your exam, and are only reimbursed when you pass. Theres more!! You only have about 14 days holiday per year, thereby forcing you to take holiday as study leave. If I ever feel about complaining about my work hours or study leave etc, I only have to remind myself of what its like for some others in other parts of the world.
Amendment Hi all - I need to make an amendment. My source tells me that it's actually 6 days of study leave - reducing to 3 for a retake...sorry about that.
I would heartily recommend you all to read: Work and Worth Take Back Your Life by Tony Humphreys I have found it to be very helpful in managing my employer and work life.
