Some roles are fully flexible, while others require negotiation to have that choice. Those who are self-employed or freelancers can decide their working hours. Further, a majority of their work is remote and they also determine their own fees. For those who work for an organization, there are usually set working hours. However, trends are changing. Employers are now seeing that some employees can work remotely. Video calling programs, such as Zoom, are now used by several professions such as doctors and counselors. Along with phone calls and emails, telecommuting or teleworking is gaining popularity.
Why Is Flexible Working So Important?
As a workforce, we are all looking for ways to improve our work-life balance. Flexible working hours play a pivotal role in that. It allows us to:
Occasionally bypass the morning commute Make time for exercise and our hobbies Spend more time with our loved ones
Post-COVID, PwC conducted a survey and found 69% of financial service companies intend to have at least 60% of their workforce working remotely. This is compared to 29% pre-COVID. Tech companies such as Twitter and PayPal have stated that they do not intend to have employees return to the office unless absolutely necessary. As well as giving employees some freedom in the working week, flexible working is also believed to:
Reduce stress – For example, from the commute, office politics or trying to find childcare Improve morale – Employees feel trusted and respected when given the freedom to work from home Improve health – Employees use the extra time away from the office to exercise or catch up on sleep
How Do I Get a Job With Flexible Hours?
There are flexible hour jobs for almost every profession and every education level. But how you might go about getting flexible hours will depend on your situation. First, consider if your current role can be flexible. Do you often find yourself thinking you could be sat at home doing this work? How do others in your office work? Do you often work at home outside of regular working hours? Professions such as PR, where an employee is responsible for a social media account, may find that profile most active in the evenings. There is an argument that their working hours should start later in the day. If your role is not flexible, you could consider a career change. This may seem a little drastic, but if one of your goals is to have more time for yourself, then a new career is a reasonable decision. It need not be a full career shift either. You may decide to stay in your current field and open your own practice or go freelance instead. Second, decide what type of flexibility you want. Do you want to work from home two days a week? Come into the office earlier or later? Work in the mornings and evenings with a long break in the afternoon? Maybe you prefer to work four long days and have a three-day weekend. Decide how you want your working week to look and see if your job can accommodate that. Third, prepare your proposal. Before meeting with your supervisor, ensure you have:
Relevant statistics and figures to back your proposal Created a course of action that suits you and your employer Clearly identified how flexible hours would benefit your employer Practiced your speech enough times, so you feel confident and ready for any questions they ask
When meeting with your supervisor/manager/HR assistant:
Be respectful and professional If they say no, politely ask why Be prepared to negotiate Remember your value and worth
20 Flexible Hour Jobs
Here is a selection of roles to consider that can have flexible working hours:
1. Web Developer
Average salary: $73,760 a year or around $35 an hour A web developer is responsible for the creation and maintenance of their clients’ websites. Web developers often work freelance and set their own fees. As the only essential equipment is a laptop or PC, the work can be done anywhere and anytime. Once all the information is gathered from the client, a web developer is free to build the website during the hours that suit them best. The job outlook predicts an 8% increase as more businesses embrace online operations and user experience techniques develop.
2. Graphic Designer
Average salary: $52,110 per year or $25 per hour Graphic designers create an array of visual images, from logos to billboard posters. As with web developers, once all the necessary information is gathered, the designer can work freely on the project. For freelance graphic designers, this is when you can decide your working hours. For those working at an agency, your employer may offer flexible working hours or the option to work from home. For creative industries, flexible working hours and locations are often part of the package. If not, it is often something you can negotiate.
3. Project Manager
Average salary: $66,137 per year As a project manager, you are responsible for all aspects of a project, from schedules and budgeting to finding and allocating resources. Pay does depend on the industry. Some, such as construction, pay more and have more job opportunities than others. Overall, roles are expected to increase by 7%. The project you are working on may not run regular working hours or be in one location, such as ecological surveys. In this case, your employer may let you work the hours your project needs. On days where you are on-site and not working from home, there is the potential to bypass the office and head straight to the location, giving you some possible free time. Generally speaking, so long as the work is done and the deadlines are met, your employer should be open to flexible working hours.
4. Registered Nurse
Average salary: $73,300 per year Increases in nurses’ responsibilities and the desire to take better care of ones health means that nursing roles are expected to increase by 7% by 2029. Nursing roles are considered a future-proof job. The 2020 pandemic has changed the way some medical professions provide services. A large number of appointments are now conducted over the phone or video call. Those whose insurance providers allow it are also choosing at-home appointments. This offers some freedom to a nurse’s schedule. Taking phone calls allows a nurse to work from home and with flexible hours. It takes away the commute and removes the stress of having a line of patients in the waiting room. For registered nurses who can see patients in their homes, the service is more about quality than quantity as you see fewer patients throughout the day. Depending on the practice you work for, there is the option to spread your appointments throughout the day, allowing you to make your own medical or personal appointments or have some personal time.
5. Medical Transcriptionist
Average salary: $33,380 a year, though transcriptionists are often paid by the length of audio processed rather than time worked, so this can vary Transcriptionists are usually freelance workers who take audio files and write down what is being said. Medical transcriptionists specialize in the medical field, learning relevant terminology to improve their speed and accuracy. The role is similar to data entry, and there are several agencies you can register with to secure regular work. It is true, with technological improvements, transcriptionist roles are expected to see a 2% rise over the next 10 years. However, as medicine is forever developing, there will always be a need for those who understand the language and type accurately, offering a human eye that machines cannot. The main requirement for a medical transcriptionist is an internet connection. The nature of the work also means you can do it when it suits you; full-time, part-time, in the evenings. You get to decide.
6. Mental Health Counselor
Average salary: $46,240 per year As the stigma surrounding mental health improves, more people are seeking professional help. Businesses and organizations are also adding counseling to their employee benefit packages. This sector is predicted to increase by 25%; it is one of the fastest-growing professions. As a freelance mental health counselor, you get to choose when you see clients, how much you charge and what organizations you associate with. Telecommuting has become common with mental health counselors throughout the pandemic as they provided sessions over the phone and through Zoom/Skype, which further increases the flexibility of working hours as commuting is negated.
7. Clinical Research Associate
Average salary: $88,790 per year As technological and medical breakthroughs happen, clinical research associates test and analyze the effects of new treatments. This role’s outlook is set to increase by 6% over the next 10 years. Treatment trials are monitored 24/7, meaning that clinical research associates work around the clock. Your schedule might look like a few hours in the morning, a session in the afternoon or a full 12-hour night-time shift. It all depends on the trial you are conducting, rather than something you can pick and choose yourself. But it is still a more flexible work schedule than a traditional nine-to-five job. Many people adopted new pets during the pandemic lockdown but are now going back to longer working hours, thus requiring hiring external care. Animal carer positions are seeing a 22% increase. Depending on the type of work, your hours can vary. Dog walkers choose to work in the mornings and evenings. A dog trainer may work four afternoons a week. A horse wrangler might dedicate five hours a day to caring for horses. A kitten nurse assistant might only be available on the weekends. These positions are often considered casual employment, so you have more freedom over your working hours, although the amount of work you could get will vary.
9. Personal Trainer
Average salary: $40,390 (self-employed personal trainers set their own rates); additional income routes include e-books and YouTube videos Personal training is another sector that is seeing large increases. By 2029, PT roles are expected to have increased by 15%. As with mental health, people are taking more care of their health and hiring personal trainers to help them achieve their physical goals, and perhaps their life goals. As wellness becomes more prominent in organizations, employers are bringing in personal trainers as part of the employment benefits package. Early mornings are the most popular time for a PT. After the morning rush, PTs have the freedom to take the rest of the day off or see more clients.
10. Beauty Therapist
Average salary: $26,270 per year Beauty therapists either work for themselves or a salon/spa/cosmetic surgery. As a freelance beauty therapist, you choose the hours you work. You also have the choice of:
Working from home Leasing your own premises Traveling to your clients’ homes
For those who are employed by someone else, your hours will vary depending on demand and the length of the treatments. Some establishments may only require you when there is a booking; others may have you work in split shifts. Speak with your employer about the options available for flexible working hours.
11. Plumber
Average salary: $55,160 per year As a tradesperson who likely owns their own business, you get to decide when you work and when you take vacations. However, while you have some autonomy over your schedule, tradespeople are expected to work weekends, evenings and be on-call for emergencies – generally being available in the times people with non-flexible jobs are at home. Your work may include fixing blockages or designing plumbing systems. The type of plumbing you do will influence your work schedule. Roles for plumbing are predicted a steady growth of 4% and are unlikely to be replaced by new technology. Such roles are good for a career change as they can be available through adult apprenticeships.
12. Business Consultants
Average salary: $85,260 per year Business consultants are responsible for streamlining and improving a business and its operations. The job outlook is an 11% increase as more organizations seek to improve their businesses. The highest-paid consultants usually have MBAs. Almost all business consultants are freelance and can therefore choose when they work. The role also includes a lot of travel as they visit different offices and work with nationwide or global organizations. They can also work remotely, over the phone or video calls, if that suits the business who hired them.
13. Taxi/Uber/Lyft Driver
Average salary: $9 an hour, with an average of $29,570, though this is variable Working for Uber or Lyft is probably the most flexible job in the world. Being a taxi driver is a similar position, also self-employed, although may involve more hours as you may have to wait around in your taxi for people to require your services. So long as you pass the entry requirements, you can accept a ride whenever you see fit. You can take one or two passengers a day or commit your whole day to driving people to their destinations. To maintain flexibility, these roles are best suited to people who only need supplementary income around other commitments, as gaining the income of a typical full-time job can involve working more hours than comfortable.
14. Online Tutors
Average salary: $19.65 an hour, with teaching quality and experience contributing to your rates Online tutoring can be a full or part-time role. Depending on who you are teaching, your hours could be early in the morning, late at night or on the weekends. Online tutoring can include:
Creating and planning a curriculum Teaching one-on-one Teaching to a group Specializing in a specific subject Teaching several subjects
The demand for good online tutors has risen; not every teacher is confident using online tools. Some parents also feel that extra professional tutoring will compensate for the inconsistency in their child’s learning.
15. Substitute Teacher
Average salary: $32,460 per year or around $15 an hour, contract-dependent Though not as flexible as an online tutor, substitute teaching still offers a lot of flexibility. Traditionally, substitutes cover absent classroom tutors meaning that your working hours will be weekdays during school hours. However, it is not a full-time position and you can choose whether you want to cover that teacher. You also do not need to spend time planning the lessons, as this has already been done. You can work for a week, take some time off, and work again the following month.
16. Writer/Editor
Average salary: $63,300 for a writer and $61,370 for an editor Writers and editors are some of the more popular digital nomad careers. With the rise of online media and our need for constant information, there is a demand for writers and editors. As online media does not follow traditional editorial calendars, they are free to create their content at any time of the day. The writing and editing can be done on any laptop, or potentially smart phone, in any location. The only limitations are the publishing deadlines and usually an internet connection.
17. Virtual Assistant
Average salary: $16 an hour Virtual assistants are similar to administrative assistants, except they are often freelancers and their clients are all over the world. They work from their laptops, managing social media accounts, organizing schedules, replying to emails, and many other administrative tasks that can be completed remotely. So long as the deadlines are met, a VA is free to do the work when they want. However, before signing a contract, the VA and client will usually agree on a particular schedule where the assistant is ‘in office’ and available for work.
18. Blogger
Average salary: There is no definitive average salary for a blogger. Some bloggers have incredibly lucrative blogs making six figures a month. In contrast, others treat it as a hobby and very rarely make an income Writing a blog may seem like simply a hobby, but can actually bring in an income if the blogger has good business skills, such as marketing. A blogger makes money through:
Brand collaborations or sponsorships Affiliate marketing Selling advertising space Creating products relating to their niche
A blogger is self-employed and so the content is created at any time they choose. However, the most successful bloggers all say they dedicated almost all their time to growing their blog and building their influence.
19. Translator
Average salary: $51,830 As business becomes more global, the need for translators is increasing, with a predicted 20% increase in translator roles. Translators are often freelance and can therefore choose how many clients they have and so how much they work. Travel is also involved in this role if the client needs you to work in-person to translate in the moment. An example schedule could look like: five days of work, with 14 off. Translators are useful when there is a foreign visitor who does not speak the local language, whether in person or a video/conference call, or when materials need to be translated for another country or demographic. The work could be constant, or it could be a day here and a day there.
20. Photographer
Average salary: $36,280 It is true that today, anyone can take and edit a photo with their phone so the demand for professional photographers is decreasing by 4%. But, while some prefer to take their own pictures, there are still occasions where a professional photographer is desired – for example, weddings, family occassions, fashion shoots and nature magazines. Some photographers specialize in a particular field (such as wildlife) and others cover a broader range of scenarios. Other photographers take pictures intending to sell them, rather than hiring themselves out for a specific job. In some ways, these people are working all the time, but they can also do their job in any location that they bring their camera. Work is not usually on a regular schedule, unless you are employed by an agency that has sufficient work coming in all the time, and might be at odd hours around other people’s availability.
Final Thoughts
Taking control of your work-life balance can be daunting. But if it is essential to you, then take the appropriate steps to achieve it. Remember:
The 2020 pandemic has proven flexible hours work There is nothing wrong with taking action to achieve the life that you want There are an endless amount of jobs that offer flexible working hours Flexible working is common practice and more businesses are embracing it
