Not retiring: career transition is for everyone
A report out this week from Teach First focused on making the profession more flexible in...read more
workingwise.co.uk talks to Neil Jolly about how flexible working means he doesn’t need to take early retirement.
Workingwise.co.uk’s annual survey was published last week and shows that a high number of those polled want more work life balance and flexible working. Neil Jolly is a telecoms worker who says that because his employer is very supportive of his wellbeing and encourages flexible working he is unlikely to take early retirement.
I am employed full time as a telecoms engineer and tester working mainly on overseas telecoms support. I was working in an office, but during Covid I worked from home and recently I was officially designated a home worker, but two days later I fractured my hip after falling and am currently undergoing physio after an operation. I have been told it will be three weeks until I am back home, but I am aiming for two.
I have a disability and this has affected me more in the last two years. My employer has recognised that and made me a home worker. On a good day I could travel to work in 30 minutes, but parking and unloading my mobility scooter took another half hour. My disability also means I suffer from fatigue and get very tired very quickly. By 4pm I can be running on half empty. Working from home makes things much easier. I can manage things so I don’t get tired too quickly as I know my own limits. My boss is very good, though, and said that being a home worker doesn’t mean I can’t come back to the office if I want to. I have worked from home before when I was with another employer and I do get a bit bored looking at the same room every day so it it is good to break it up now and again for my own wellbeing. I also have a nine year old daughter too and it is good to be around more to see her.
Before I was allowed to work from home I was thinking of taking early retirement. I got made redundant four years ago when I was 48. I was lucky that I was in a good financial position and could retire. But the job I was made redundant from was very busy. I found it very difficult to go from a very busy job to retirement. I could not really settle. Then my current employer rang me. I had worked with them in the past on contracts and they offered me a job. I have been lucky in my working life to meet the right people at the right time.
Now I believe I can keep working for many more years. I could talk to my boss too about reducing my hours if I need to or asking for a job share. My employer is very supportive of employees’ wellbeing. They would rather keep people on a part-time basis than lose them. My employer has been really good to me. If the working conditions are right I think more people would stay in work.