Design For Life

Advice: I have three children; is it fair to ask my job for more flexibility?

This week, Leisha McGrath advises a reader who feels guilty about asking her work for special allowances to help allay her summer overwhelm

‘Summer with family is supposed to be fun, but with three kids off school and both my partner and I working, it feels like we are barely coping’

Dear Expert,

Summer with family is supposed to be fun. With three kids – 9, 11 and 12 – off school and both my partner and I working, it feels like we are barely coping. I understand this might sound like a ‘first-world problem’, but I am experiencing insomnia and my anxiety is spiralling. I need more flexibility at work at a minimum, but is it fair for me to request this from my manager, when ...