Set Your Own Working Hours and Encourage Other Staff to do the Same

While Trusts and schools are encouraged to embrace flexible working, staff have to work the hours they have agreed and are contracted to...and in many cases they work more and in some cases, significantly more.

Despite the work pressure and workload faced, it is important that staff recognise they do have choice over the hours they work. It may not always feel like that and there are many reasons for this, including:

  • Accountability, for example the need to meet targets, deadlines and deliver against the curriculum and Ofsted Judgements. 
  • Not wanting to let others down - colleagues, students and parents.
  • The every day workload faced and additional demands from students, parents, colleagues and more.
  • Being a perfectionist and wanting to deliver everything, rather than accepting when things may be good enough.
  • Pressure or perceived pressure from school leaders or line managers, and the pressure they put on themselves.

These are just some of the reasons staff give. Letting the work dictate the hours worked, will always lead to a working pattern significantly beyond the contracted one. Instead staff should choose their hours and make their work fit with this. There may be days and weeks where they have to do more, for example during report writing or when parents evenings approach.

Too many headteachers, senior leaders, teachers and support staff are making a choice - one to leave their school or even the profession. The numbers reported from the DfEs own figures are frightening. As a sector we cannot afford to see these leavers and retention is a key performance indicator.

If we can help leaders and staff make a different choice, how much better that would be. If they were able to largely set their working hours, prioritise and work efficiently and effectively, this would be the answer. Easier said than done for the reasons already given and because for many the pattern of work has become a poor habit.

If you are someone who wants to reduce the hours they work, how can you do this? Below are some steps for you.

  • Set a clear goal - what hours do you want to work? You can start by reducing from what you do now and then continue to reduce as you build more effective practice. Write this down, and add it to your calendar.
  • Create a trigger to remind you of your goal and review performance each day. This might be a post-it in your dashboard or a calendar alarm online. Use those to review daily - 'how did I do'. Without triggers it will be easy to forget.
  • Reflect on progress - book a regular meeting with yourself, where you review progress, identify opportunities and learn from mistakes.
  • Ask for support from trusted colleagues, friends and leaders - build a support team who you can work with on achieving your goals.
  • Believe what you are setting for yourself is possible - record your successes, no matter how small, and forgive yourself for lapses.
  • Remove things that do not add value for staff, students or parents.
  • Learn to say no - in reality this means being able to successfully negotiate. "Yes I can do that, though which of these should I leave?"

Choosing your hours and adapting work to fit them takes time and for some it will also be alien. Remember that things will not change overnight and by reflecting and practicing you will see improvements.

Below you can also download trainer notes and a Powerpoint that you can run with staff for their wellbeing,

Download you trainer notes here.

Download the PowerPoint here.

Exercises and learning is broken into timelines and they are a highly effective way to engage staff in improving their wellbeing.  These can be used in full for half-day plus of training, or broken into sections for inset days, twilight sessions or meetings.

Dip your toe in the water...?

Can we take just 25 minutes of your time to show you how we make improving staff wellbeing easier for Trusts and their schools? 

Use the button below to book your free no obligation 25 minute Demo.

“Welbee provides an amazing foundation to our wellbeing strategy. It's cost-effective, easy to use and provides excellent support, making the complex job of managing multiple pieces of data from 1300 employees, easy. Welbee is a highly effective staff wellbeing evaluation and improvement tool, making staff wellbeing simply part of what happens every day.”

Debbie Duggan

Operational Resources Director

It's OK if you are still not sure and would like more information first - just email support@welbee.co.uk and we will share the features and benefits of Welbee and how these help deliver the evidence proven benefits of higher staff retention, lower staff absences, better financial performance and further raise student outcomes. All starting with DfE Staff Wellbeing Charter recognised measurement.