Services to offer part time flexible working hours

[NutLoose]

That'll be interesting to fit in around deployments.


https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-for-military-flexible-working-become-law

[Mogwi]

The inmates are taking over the asylum!

[Herod]

Ah, "National Emergency" Catch 22.

[oldmansquipper]

The inmates are taking over the asylum!
They have been in charge for several years. But don't worry though, Jezza will sort it all out when he gets in.

[trim it out]

It's just a formalisation of the system already in place.

Stores that are only open for ten minutes every third Tuesday.
Lads who spend more time on the XBox in their rooms than being sat around the NAAFI doing nothing, waiting for direction.
Late starts on Mondays.
Early stacks on Fridays.
Wednesday sports afternoons.
The Boss is away on a course? No need to hang around playing minesweeper until 5 looking busy for that A- report.

[VinRouge]

It's just a formalisation of the system already in place.

Stores that are only open for ten minutes every third Tuesday.
Lads who spend more time on the XBox in their rooms than being sat around the NAAFI doing nothing, waiting for direction.
Late starts on Mondays.
Early stacks on Fridays.
Wednesday sports afternoons.
The Boss is away on a course? No need to hang around playing minesweeper until 5 looking busy for that A- report.
For all of the cynical quips, it may keep valuable people in who would otherwise poke off for a civvie job offering that 75% contract the military doesn't. If they have trashed your pension, why wouldnt you want an easier pace of life when you are now expected to work til past 70 for a state pension.plus, you only get paid for the work you actually do.

Seems an ideal way to meet the balance between modern lifestyle and the age old issue of what to do with unreducable spare manpower capacity when not balls out.

[trim it out]

For all of the cynical quips, it may keep valuable people in who would otherwise poke off for a civvie job offering that 75% contract the military doesn't. If they have trashed your pension, why wouldnt you want an easier pace of life when you are now expected to work til past 70 for a state pension.plus, you only get paid for the work you actually don

While I am glad that alternatives are being considered to retain people, (I am planning on applying for a sabbatical in the future to complete some further education and travelling) I think that a part time work scheme is slightly misplaced within the military workplace less for some particularly niche posts perhaps.

I think we should focus on a greater "work from home" model. Planning on spending the week catching up on report writing? Take a work laptop home instead of driving the 300 mile round trip to have to shave everyday and sit in an office amongst the kennels that some places have become.

[golfbananajam]

Looks like the end of the Regular Military and all will become part-timers

[PPRuNeUser0211]

I feel on the face of it this is to be applauded. As previous have said, it'll help retain high quality people at pinch points in their lives, in theory.

The issue I have is that, in practice the number of posts in my area of expertise that can support flexible working is vanishingly small. There are some, I'll grant you, but the vast majority of areas would be seriously harmed by even 1 or 2 people going part time.

The problem this leads to is a Manning one. Who gets posted to the "Flexi" job, and if they don't use the flex, do they then get posted to somewhere that isn't Flexi to make room for someone who needs it?

[MPN11]

We have a friend in the US, who is a fairly senior civil Servant (LTC/COL equivalent), who works from home in Arizona and just goes to D.C. every couple of weeks for meetings. Otherwise everything is done by email, or FaceTime, and that stuff. For that (largely Administrative) job it seems to work fine.

We've moved a long way from passing big fat paper files from one desk to another at MoD and elsewhere.

[downsizer]

Lot of uninformed speculation here. Mostly from people it won't affect.

[superplum]

Lot of uninformed speculation here. Mostly from people it won't affect.

Zero-hours contracts haven't raised their heads yet!
:D

[Thomas Woodrooffe RN]

Zero-hours contracts haven't raised their heads yet!
:D
The ‘contract’ for Part Time Reserves looks very like a zero hours contract to me, the official wording goes along the lines of ‘no commitment from either parties’.

[NutLoose]

While I can understand the logic behind it in a civilian environment, surely a military one by its very role will mean it's going to be difficult to roll out across the board, I can understand it working in second line services, catering, supply, admin etc, but on front line units and those involving detachments, oversees service etc perhaps not so.

The fundamental problem I envisage is manning, as they are struggling to address the shortage of recruitment at the moment, operating a two for one job scenario will just increase those problems, plus unlike a serviceman or women, a civilian counterpart tends not to have to feed, house, dress, or indeed train its workforce.

Retention, yes I could see it working to a degree, but that then will suck up the flow out of the services and possibly into the reserves.


..

[VinRouge]

While I can understand the logic behind it in a civilian environment, surely a military one by its very role will mean it's going to be difficult to roll out across the board, I can understand it working in second line services, catering, supply, admin etc, but on front line units and those involving detachments, oversees service etc perhaps not so.

The fundamental problem I envisage is manning, as they are struggling to address the shortage of recruitment at the moment, operating a two for one job scenario will just increase those problems, plus unlike a serviceman or women, a civilian counterpart you tend not to have to feed, house and dress, or indeed train.

Retention, yes I could see it working to a degree, but that then will suck up the flow out of the services and possibly into the reserves.

At the rate of pay for full time reservists, I very much doubt that. Particularly for high tech merit roles. More likely to go civvie 60-75% and back fill with part time reserve service.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Did I miss the part of the announcement where SofS said that the Armed Forces would be increased in size to compensate for all those taking flexi time off? Or did that get covered in the increase in numbers to cover maternity and paternity leave?

[FantomZorbin]

MPN11
ATC from home using Flightradar/globalADSB ? The time delay might be a bit of snag! :E

[Jumping_Jack]

The whole point is that it won't be rolled out wholesale to all units, it is very much at the discretion of the CoC and the viability of the post in which the individual sits. In the unit I command we have individuals who have been part of the part time working trial, and it has worked well. It has enabled me to keep talented individuals, who as a result of their domestic circumstances would have left the services had it not been for this initiative. Of course it is not going to be appropriate for all tasks and units.

[NutLoose]

MPN11
ATC from home using Flightradar/globalADSB ? The time delay might be a bit of snag! :E
Neighbours wont appreciate you leaning out of the bedroom window and firing off the odd red flare either.

Working from home for a squaddie would be like the Golden Shot... phone in "Bernie the Bolt..up a bit, left, left, fire!"

[Bob Viking]

What the hell do you think you’re doing coming on here with reasoned opinion backed up by actual evidence?!

Sorry, I’m having one of those days.

BV