Could I really work from home?

Can I work flexibly?

My job is being moved 20 miles away and I have young kids. I suggested working flexibly and my boss said, 'push off!'

I've spent the last three years earning a degree in my own time. There are a lot of jobs in the paper I could do, but they are not part-time. Is it worth approaching them with a 'can do' attitude and chancing my arm on the hours I need?
jeni1974

Gillian Nissim: You may want to explore whether you can work for your existing employer on a flexible basis (perhaps part-time and/or with some home working, for example).

Depending on the amount of time they've been with an employer, parents who have a child aged 0 - 6 years, or a disabled child under 18, have the right to apply to work flexibly and their employers have a duty to consider these requests seriously.

You should check out what your employer's flexible working policy is and, in any case, there is a formal process to follow. Make sure you know your rights and those of your employer, and go to your employer with a well thought through business proposition.

If you show you can make flexible working work for both you and your employer, your request is more likely to get a positive response.

If that's not a route you want to follow and you do want to 'start again', there are a number of strategies to explore. More and more companies are embracing flexible working practices and the Internet is a good place to start. Job sites such as www.workingmums.co.uk are geared specifically to link employers looking for part-time professionals with mums who want to work more flexibly.

They offer a vast range of roles that vary from full-time home-based to term-time only, and these jobs span a wide range of industry sectors. Local papers can also be a surprisingly good source of quality part-time jobs.

Also talk to your friends and the 'mums network'. Is someone you know looking for a job-share partner, for example?

As you suggest, you could approach employers advertising for full-time positions with a part-time proposition. Another approach is to identify and approach companies that you know have a good record of employing people on a flexible basis.

A bit of desk research and speaking to friends can help identify these employers. These are companies who recognise that offering flexibility allows them access to a wider pool of talent, and it has great business benefits for them.