Flexible work is different

Did anybody else have this conversation over Christmas?

Well meaning person - "I am sorry that you have to work over Christmas!"

Me - "I don't have to work, I wanted to work."

Well meaning person - "Oh ....." (looks at you with pity, changes topic quickly)

I had versions of this conversation many times. I mean, I must be insane right? Everybody wants to take two weeks off over Christmas, and if I don't get to take two weeks off then I must be pitied. If I say I want to work then I must be poor (financially) or delusional.

The thing about truly flexible and remote work is that you can decide whether you want to work over Christmas, and in this case I did.

There are many reasons that a person might want to do this, in my case it included that I have been working hard and my preferred work base has some momentum at the moment, my husband and I have December birthdays so honestly I am a bit bah humbug about December and all the stuff I am expected to cram into it, and as my husband has the week off I can just leave him with the kids and all the associated responsibilities and skip off to work to drink my coffee and use my brain in peace.

To be clear, I didn't work Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and I was not required to by my employer. I also was not required to work the Christmas break by my employer.

The decision was also helped by the fact that our firm has recently taken up space in a co-working space and so I could escape the dishes, the ridiculous amount of cardboard that I somehow need to cut down to size and fit into our recycling bin, and the battle to distract the kids when all their friends are busy with five different family events.

Also I enjoy my work (well not all of my work, family law is pretty miserable, but most of my work), I enjoy using my God given intelligence and the training that I have worked hard to amass, and I enjoy helping my clients. Again though, if you try and say this, well, you must be insane.

You are supposed to hate work, and you are definitely supposed to hate working over the two week Christmas break period.

The problem with flexible work in 2019 is that it is still truly different. Really flexible and really remote work that can be done from anywhere at any time (yes, even Boxing Day) is still very different. This makes people suspicious of it, and it is easier to just stick with the normal Monday to Friday, 9-5, bum in a seat at a desk in an office approach.

I would encourage you to think about it though, do you want to take two weeks off over Christmas or would you prefer to take time off at some other point of the year? Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean that it will work for you.

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