Friday January 27, 2012
During my second maternity leave, I kept saying to my husband, "If only I could work part-time, I'm sure I could balance work and family." He finally convinced me to propose a reduced-hour schedule to my supervisor, and to my surprise, she said yes! The new world of flexwork meant I could succeed at a demanding and engaging career, enjoy quality time with all my children and even take an exercise class or shop at the grocery store during non-prime hours.
You too can achieve the flexwork dream, but it starts by knowing yourself and understanding your unique circumstances. Do you really want part-time hours for part-time pay? Or would you be better off shifting the start and end times of your day, to avoid the worst of rush hour and trim your commute time -- which in some cities can mean one or even two more free hours a day.
Another option is job sharing, which works especially well for high-level corporate jobs where you really have to be available 24-7, or close to it. When there are two individuals available 24-7, that amounts to a reasonable workload for each one of them.
What does flexwork mean to you? I'd love to learn about your experience with any of flexible work arrangements mentioned above, or a new and creative one. Please share!
Photo credit: Getty Images/Tim Robberts
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Tuesday January 24, 2012
Last Friday, I was dropping off my girls at before care, a bit on the late side, when I ran into a fellow working mom who normally hits the road early to beat the traffic to work. She was wearing jeans and a happy, relaxed expression. Not the typical uniform of someone about to dive into the morning commute to work.
At my curious look, she explained that she works a compressed work week and enjoys every other Friday off. That particular day, she was headed to coffee with a stay-at-home mom friend, the gym and the grocery store. Sounded like bliss to me!
It made me wonder if I should consider a compressed work week myself. But upon reflection, I realized that I like having family time both in the morning and in the evening. I wouldn't want to give up either part of the day, as would be required in any kind of compressed work week.
Perhaps when my kids are older, or out of the house, it would be more appealing to work four long days and have a long weekend. But for now I'm good. What's your take? Have you considered a compressed work week and whether it would be a good option? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
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Thursday January 19, 2012
We're in the New Year, and I'm guessing at least one of your resolutions had to do with one of your career goals. For me, it's to finally write down the book proposal that has been rattling around my head for two years. I know that by committing it to paper, I've taken the first concrete step toward achieving it. (Even if it takes another four years to write.)
It's easy to become discouraged when your career goals are huge and take time to reach. When you're a parent, you might fall onto the mommy track for a couple of years, and feel that you're truly headed backwards instead of forwards. Or, perhaps a layoff or career setback has you truly down. The best path up the mountain is usually zig-zag, rather than directly up.
So give yourself credit for small steps towards your career goals. For me, it's writing a blog post about the book proposal. I know that people will read it, and ask me about it, and that will help keep me accountable. What's your first step?
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Tuesday January 17, 2012
It's mid-January, which means the nanny tax is again on my mind. First, it's a likely time for people to hire a new babysitter, with those New Year's resolutions for a regular date night or to job hunt. And once you hire someone on a regular basis -- paying more than $35 a week -- you're most likely going to fall under the nanny tax rules. In short, if you pay cash wages of more than $1,800 to a household employee in 2012, you must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Second, if you already have a regular sitter, this is the month you must fill out the nanny tax forms and send her the W-2 form that she will file with her personal income tax returns. It's not that complicated, but it does require a few hours of quiet with a calculator and your financial records. If you don't already have an employer tax identification number, it's easy enough to get one from the IRS.
Are you following the rules for paying the nanny tax? Wouldn't you rather know that you're doing the right thing, rather than skirting the letter of the law? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
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