Flexible Job Schedules
Adapted from: Reile DM and Nickols JL. Survival
Strategies for Your New Career. 2002; 83.
Work is an important part of life, but it isn’t
all there is to life. Regardless of gender and lifestyle,
you have a need for personal time and for a life
with your family. There are some options that you
may want to consider, especially if you decide to
have children or if you care for aging parents or
for a spouse who needs physical care because of an
illness or other special need.
Job Sharing. You may consider working part-time
with someone who shares your needs or desires for
a limited work schedule. Job sharing is a special
form of part-time work where two people of equivalent
education and skill share the duties and responsibilities
of one full-time job. The salary and benefits are
often also split equally. In order for this plan
to work effectively, you must have an employer who
is open to the idea and find a job-share partner
who has similar work habits and ethics.
WomensWire.com has articles to help you gain more
insight on job sharing. Although job sharing is not
only for women, women tend to make up a greater percentage
of those who participate. Another Web site that you
might find helpful is http://www.mommd.com/careers.shtml This site is for physicians who are also mothers
and, while not specifically geared to pharmacists,
may provide insights on the medical professionals
who job share.
Job Flexibility. Instead of splitting time with
other professionals, pharmacists with a flexible
job schedule work 40 hours a week in any combination
that fits their schedule and their employer’s
needs. For instance, they might work four 10-hour
days and have one week day off, or nine 9-hour days
(four 9-hour days in one week, with Friday off, and
five 9-hour days in week two). Or they may have the
opportunity to work less than 40 hours in one week
by giving notice to their employer or by having someone
else fill in. In most cases this would mean getting
paid less for the week or month in which they worked
less than a full-time schedule.
The point is to be able to make the job work around
your life and needs rather than the other way around.
This plan usually requires an understanding and flexible
employer and some level of respect within the organization
so that an employer will trust that this flexibility
will not be abused.
Family Friendly Employment. Even before the Family
and Medical Leave Act became law in 1993, many people
were talking about family friendly employment. In
fact, different magazines (e.g., Working Woman, workingwoman.com)
rate the most family friendly employers. Family friendly
employment implies that an employer understands the
needs of employees to have work that supports their
family life and may help with child and elder care.
These employers may have onsite daycare; provide
a stipend for day or elder care; provide paid maternity
and paternity leave; have an employee who assists
with child care, elder care, school choice, and other
such issues; ad have flexible work and leave schedules.
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