Flexible working

We want our staff to strike a balance between work and their life outside work. You can request flexible working  – we offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities.

You can apply for flexible working right from the beginning of your employment. We regularly review flexible working arrangements with our staff to ensure they are effective and continue to meet individual and service needs.

Types of flexible working

There are a large range of flexible working arrangements that our staff are currently using to their advantage. These include:

Flexi-time

You agree daily start and finish times that meet your needs, as well as the needs of the service.

Part-time working

You work less than full-time hours, either over five days or on agreed ‘fixed’ days of the week.

Temporarily reduced working hours

You can reduce your working hours for a period of up to 12 months. This can be used to enable you to manage caring responsibilities or other commitments such as training courses.

Job share

One full-time role is shared between you and one (or more) other employee.

Annualised hours

You agree a number of working hours per year, instead of per week. This allows you to vary your working hours at certain times. For example, you could work fewer hours during school holidays.

Compressed hours

You complete your working hours in fewer, but longer, working days. For example, you could work nine days in a fortnight, rather than 10.

Staggered working hours

You agree a regular weekly working pattern within specified arrival and departure times. Your hours can be staggered temporarily or permanently, and this can apply throughout the week or just on one or two days of the week. Staggered working hours differ from flexi-time, where your arrival and departure time can vary, as long as core hours are worked.

Home working

You can request to work from home as part of out Home Working Policy.

Other options for temporary flexible working

Other types of temporary flexible working we offer include:

Career breaks

You can request to take a period of time off work unpaid.

Flexible retirement

You can gradually ease yourself into retirement rather than making the usual abrupt transition from being employed to retired.