Planning for the summer for those with caring responsibilities
The University recognises that as the summer holidays approach, many staff with caring responsibilities will be concerned about the ongoing need to juggle work and personal commitments. If you are worried, please approach your line manager to discuss your working arrangements. The University expects all managers to be supportive of their staff, to initiate and encourage these conversations and for both staff and managers to recognise the need for flexibility. The University also recognises that staff have been working hard to manage work and personal commitments over the past few months and is grateful for all your efforts during this time.
The following section provides tips for balancing your commitments over the summer by adjusting your working pattern, discussing your workload and commitments with your line manager, communicating effectively with your colleagues, and taking some time away from work for yourself. You may already be doing many of these things, however it may be worth re-visiting, as your needs and those of your institution may have changed.
Top tips
- Consider how adjusting your working arrangements on a temporary basis might help you balance your work and caring commitments over the summer.
- Speak to your line manager or consider how best to manage and prioritise your workload, meetings and existing deadlines according to your personal circumstances and the operational needs of your institution as buildings start to re-open. Two-way flexibility will be essential here. However, we appreciate that sometimes this will mean you may be unable to deliver what you would usually be able to, but we know that staff are doing their best under the circumstances.
- Take your annual leave during the summer period in agreement with your line manager – everyone needs time to rest and recuperate, particularly under current circumstances.
- If you have another adult at home with you, you could consider a joint caring schedule, with one adult working and the other taking on the caring responsibilities, e.g. one person working during the morning, and one working in the afternoon (recognising that you will not be able to deliver your standard outputs in this context).
- You may want to discuss with your institution if you could work a compressed week by working longer hours per day allowing you to dedicate some days to your caring responsibilities during the week (this may be useful if you are in a position where you can share your caring responsibilities).
- You may want to discuss with your institution if you could work at different times of the day or over the weekend (when there may be more support at home) and take time off for your caring responsibilities during the week.
- You may be able to agree with your line manager that you temporarily reduce your working hours to obtain a better balance between caring responsibilities and work and this should not be pay affecting over the summer period. If you are looking to amend your working hours on a more permanent basis, speak to your line manager and visit https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/policies-procedures/flexible-working
- Keep your team updated on any changes to your working pattern. Clearly communicating your needs may help to make your own life less stressful during this time, and you will probably have colleagues who are in a similar position. Your conversation may open the door for your colleagues to have this conversation also. You could do this by:
- putting your revised working hours in your email signature and your voicemail to remind everyone of when you will be working, and
- letting your colleagues know if there are changes to your working pattern and updating and sharing your outlook calendar with them.
The University’s Childcare Office remains committed to supporting parents and carers, particularly at this challenging time and is available to provide information about alternative support in the local area. Please contact playscheme@admin.cam.ac.uk or childcareservices@admin.cam.ac.uk for further details.
- Visit the Supporting Parents and Carers at Cambridge (SPACE) website which provides sources of support and advice for parents and carers at this time.
- My Family Care is also available to University staff for emergency childcare, eldercare and school holiday cover at short notice. They also provide links to longer term sources of support such as nannies and general childcare facilities.
Please also see : https://www.childcare.admin.cam.ac.uk/summer-childcare-information