Who's holding the baby?
Do you know your rights?
Checking out your childcare options
Want to know the secret to an organised life?
Are you poised to achieve the perfect mental state?
Put your work house in order!
How to get your own way with the boss from hell!
Who you gonna call? The Jargon Busters!
New BTU course!
Make the most of DeskDemon
Offers, Offers, Offers!
Competitions Galore!
It's that time of year again…
Work Life Balance. Those three little words are still very much on the agenda, from the Government downwards. Anyone who thought it was just another fad of management speak was much mistaken. If anything, Work Life Balance (WLB) has become an achievable option for more of us, as it becomes more acceptable to work from home, to choose different time patterns, and even to request flexible working from your boss. As we move to a 24/7 economy, firms have realised that they not only need to provide staff cover for more hours of the day, but also that as long as the work gets done, it doesn't always matter when it gets done. So, welcome to our Work Life Balance edition, where we discuss a range of subjects related to working more flexibly, and achieving more of what you want from life.
We kick off with a look at the very latest legislation proposed by Westminster, the new Work and Families Bill. Charles James gives us the low-down on what the Bill contains, and how industry and unions are reacting. Seems that the debate over family-friendly working will run and run! Along with this, we've got a jargon buster, to help you work out exactly what everyone is talking about! If you don't know what annualised hours are, this is the place for you.
Next, Karen Mannering gets up to date with her valuable Question and Answer session on your rights when it comes to flexible working – you may be very surprised by the answers she gives! One of the biggest issues for working parents – and still predominantly for women – is childcare. How easy is it to have a Work Life Balance when you have to plan your week around children's drop offs and pick ups? Sara Goodwins looks at the current childcare options, so don't miss her round-up.
Of course, to achieve this mythical "juggling" you have to be extremely organised. That's why we've included an article about a new book by Dr Marilyn Paul, which is guaranteed to sort you out. Short-term fixes are no good, says Dr Paul – you need to change your whole mind-set. Find out how!
Ian Boughton entertains us as ever with his article on achieving the right state of mind to succeed in your quest for an organised and balanced life, while Maureen Moody gives us her top tips on setting up an office at home. It's important to get it right, she says, if you're going to be spending significant periods of time working from your own home.
Negotiating some flexible time, or asking the boss for a change of hours, is easy if your boss is reasonable and approachable. But what if you have a nightmare manager? We've tracked down another new book to help you deal with all kinds of difficult characters, "Dealing with the boss from hell". Author Shaun Belding gives you five examples of things NOT to do if you want to get on with your tricky boss.
I hope you find this issue of DeskDemon Express valuable and, as ever, we do enjoy hearing your feedback. Particularly, keep the "Ouch!" stories coming in. This issue we hear from a young lad who made a classic interview mistake, which we can all learn from!
Until next issue…
Best wishes
