Charity News

Embracing Flexibility: Celebrating Worklife Week

This week (7-11 October 2024) is ‘National Worklife Week’ and the theme is flexible working. At Fight for Sight we recognise the benefits of a flexible workplace model for everyone, which is why we embrace multiple forms of flexible working, including compressed hours, remote working and staggered hours. This flexibility enables our staff to maintain a healthy work life balance, especially those with disabilities and caring responsibilities.

Kim Creus, Communications Manager, works compressed hours, meaning that, as a mother, she never has to compromise her family life. “I know that Fight for Sight would never expect that of me,” she told us. “As a result I love coming to work and my life doesn’t feel like a constant juggle”.

Brinda Rambaran, our Stock Donations Manager, shared how flexible working arrangements have meant that she has never had to compromise on a core part of her life: exercise. Working flexibly allows her to fit in exercise which enables her to achieve better results at work as she feels more productive, energised and focused.

Our Trust Fundraising Manager, Becky Hopwood, shared how being able to work from home isn’t just a luxury, it is essential. “It’s the difference between dragging myself through the week, completely drained by work, and living a balanced life where I can thrive in my career without sacrificing my wellbeing or personal life,” she told us. She further explained that if she didn’t have the flexibility that she has in place, she would not be able to work.

A mum and dad in a field with their child who is trying to kick a football

Fran Ravell, Individual Giving Manager, and mother of two describes how being able to work part time, is essential and is the difference between being able to work and not. “Without flexible working, I’d have to arrange a lot more wrap around childcare at a huge expense, meaning that financially, it almost wouldn’t be worth me working.” 

Josie Robson, Communications Manager, believes that without flexible working she would have to make some tough compromises “I love being a parent (I have three boys age 6, 9, 11) but it takes a lot and is easy to lose yourself in the process. So flexible working around their school hours - and various sporting obsessions - means I can make family life work without missing out on the work I love doing at Fight for Sight. Working here is rewarding, stimulating and sociable and if it weren't for flexible working I know I'd have to make some really challenging compromises. The understanding, support and trust I get from our community of colleagues is quite literally what makes my work life balance work.”

Lastly, Zaynab, Communications Assistant, had this to say about flexible hybrid arrangement:  

“I have personally found this option very helpful, as I myself am blind and I also have anxiety, and so the stress of having to travel on public transport all the time really tires me out. More often than not, I usually feel drained before the day’s even started, however, I still really value physical human interaction, and being able to get out of the house is very helpful for my mental health. I also feel that you can get a lot more done when you’re face-to-face with fellow colleagues, so I love the mix of being able to have the flexibility of being able to work from home, whilst still being able to maintain the best results from working in person with fellow colleagues.”

 At Fight for Sight, we recognise the importance of supporting our employees' wellbeing through a flexible work mode and believe it empowers employees to balance their personal and professional lives more effectively, allowing them to fulfil other responsibilities while nurturing meaningful relationships outside of work.

 

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Panellists at the fireside chat opening Visionary Conference. Seated left to right are: Ellie Southwood, Director of Impact and External Affairs, Fight for Sight, ames Watson O’Neill OBE, CEO, SignHealth. Fight for Sight trustee Dr Amit Patel, disability rights campaigner, best-selling author, motivational speaker and independent consultant and Fern Lulham, BBC Broadcaster and Producer and J.
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