New Workplace Magazine, NSW DIR Vol 5 No. 3:
"This well-researched and compassionate book looks at ways to achieve a balance between work responsibilities and family/lifestyle commitments. It describes the process of converting workplaces into family-friendly locations, and family places into work-friendly havens.

"Time On, Time Out! Outlines strategies to minimise competing commitments using case studies of real people, with real babies and real jobs. It proposes solutions that reflect the broad range of experience and consultation the authors bring to their research, as well as optimism and enthusiasm for achieving a balance between work and life."

HR Monthly review by Jan Stewart (abridged):
"At last, a book which is written with people in mind. Biggs and Horgan recognise the need for people to have healthier working environments and a balance between work and leisure…This publication successfully puts together a strong argument for organisations instituting individual working arrangements to meet the needs of a modern workforce. At last, it is being advocated that a person may achieve success in an organisation, without working a minimum of a 14-hour day! It also gives permission for fathers to have time at home to share their children's care and development with their partners.

"I would recommend this book to everyone in business, whether employer or employee. It would seem an ideal recipe for work environments in the new millennium. The many successes documented and volunteered by some large organisations could give others the impetus to experiment. Even if it only changes a few people's outlook on a flexible workplace environment, then it will have served its purpose."

Work and Family Magazine Issue No 21:
"This practical and very accessible book is authored by two Australian consultants who have plenty of experience in helping workplaces achieve a better balance between employees' work and family lives. It is a how-to guide aimed at the individual employee and manager. Throughout the book the authors make use of up-to-date research findings, case studies and quotes. A major focus of the book is to encourage and equip individual employees to negotiate with their managers for more balanced work practices.

"The book is divided into three parts. Part one sets out to show that firms need to be more flexible if they want productive and long-term employees, and that employees want more balance in their lives. It also focuses on the challenges to achieving flexibility that operate at the personal, organisational and social level.

"The second part of the book shows the reader how to institute various flexible work practices in the workplace. There are separate chapters on part-time work and job-sharing, flexible hours, working away from the workplace and leave provisions. These chapters are aimed at individuals within a workplace trying to achieve changes for themselves, but they are also instructive for managers wanting to know more about how to get flexible work policies up and running.

"The final part fo the book is titled 'Getting and keeping flexibility'. There is a checklist to see how far advanced a workplace is regarding its approach to balancing work and life issues, and a 10-step plan for individuals wanting to get access to flexible work practices. The last chapter mentions tips for keeping the workplace flexible, including policy options and evaluation ideas. The book concludes with a list of useful contacts and references.

This publication would be useful for anyone interested in getting flexible work practices up and running at their workplace."

For Me Magazine:
"Ever secretly wished that your workplace was a bit more flexible, but thought there was nothing you could do to change the situation? Think again.

Time On, Time Out! Is full of practical ways to make working a more civilised experience. Here's an example: swapping the 4--hour, five-day week for a 150-hour month, where hours can be worked any time between 7am and 9pm.

The book also tells you how to prepare a flexibility proposal and overcome objections your boss may have to it. For example, if you suggest doing your job from home, your boss may ask: "How will I know if you're working if I can't see you?" In response, you could argue the benefits of an objective performance appraisal system."

Jenny Tabakoff, The Sydney Morning Herald:
"Having trouble balancing your private and professional lives? Interested in job-sharing, going part-time, having more family-friendly hours or working from home? You are not alone, but many people are nervous about asking for flexible hours. The authors, both working mothers, have written a well-researched guide that will boost your confidence. There are facts and figures about how businesses benefit from keeping staff happy, plus many Australian examples of unconventional but successful working arrangements.

The authors give sensitive advice on strategies to overcome employer objections. They also give strategies to avoid pitfalls, backed up with worksheets to help establish your personal balance between work and play, plus "action plans" with which to approach employers. Recommended."

Business Sydney review, by Dominique Antarakis:
"It's the old story. You'd like to have a life, but work always gets in the way. Your boss is on your back, there's no one else to take your place. Holidays? Don't make me laugh. Its days over Christmas.

If this sounds familiar, then a new book, Time On, Time Out, aims to provide "flexible work solutions to keep your life in balance." Social change commentator Geraldine Doogue, launching the book, praised it as "practical and devoid of ideology".

"It talks about flexibility in a way which rescues the term from being meaningless," she said.

"Doogue said the authors Susan Biggs and Kerry Fallon Horgan were pioneers in the new age of family-friendly, flexible working environments. The book provides helpful advice and real life anecdotes from people who make flexibility work. Biggs and Fallon Horgan aim to make it easier for the rest of us by sharing their experiences of bringing up a family and working at the same time.

"Doogue said the good news is there are "no rules" - we can make it up as we go along. This means each of us can be involved in finding methods to obtain balance through flexibility. "You first have to imagine the workplace you want," Doogue said. "The intellectual work has to be done by the self. That can be extremely hard."

"Biggs began researching the book at the end of a 12 year career chapter as director of consultancy Families At Work, helping organisations and individuals achieve a balance in life and work. She describes the experience as "cathartic", in that it helped her consolidate the experiences from helping others and balancing her own life and work.

"Life's too short to be stressed out and guilty. There are always excuses about why people don't make changes - 'the nature of my job means I can't work part time', but there is always a way of changing the way you work."

"Fallon Horgan, who wrote her first book when having her first child, said the more we balance our lives, the more productive we become. "We have the opportunity to decide now how we want our lives to be in the 21st century. The old assumptions are no longer working. They lead to loss of health, family breakdown and stress in the workplace."

"Imagining we are the only person who can do the job or don't deserve any assistance, leads to the expansion of the working week into longer and longer hours. Doogue related the tale of her taking on an assistant to enable her to keep writing a weekly column on top of her five day a week job as presenter on ABC Radio's Life Matters. She somehow felt she didn't deserve to have someone to help her. "you have to be chairman of BHP to have an assistant." That simple decision, she said, "changed my life".

Living Well Magazine:
"Time Out! Examines different options to increase work flexibility, with the aim of maintaining the all-important balance between work, family and life. Options and how-tos such as job-sharing, part-time work, home offices, extended leave and flexible hours are explored. Worksheets, research statistics and case studies hive the book a practical flavour that may be just the thing for those seeking constructive suggestions for change."

Illawarra Mercury by Lisa Sewell (abridged):
"Many employees struggle to find an easy balance between their work and personal lives. It's a struggle that working mothers, Susan Biggs and Kerry Fallon Horgan, know only too well.

"Drawing from their experiences, and from extensive research in the areas of work and family life, the pair has penned Time On, Time Out!, a book that is written for all those seeking greater balance in their lives.

"Achieving flexibility at your workplace means creating the life you want to live instead of simply reacting to everyday stresses as they occur," write the authors. "You know the feeling of just getting everything under control - work and household routines, personal, family and community commitments - when the unexpected occurs and you drop all the balls you were trying to juggle."

"The pair reveals how a greater balance is achievable through flexible work practices such as part-time work, job sharing, extended leave, home offices and flexible hours.

"The book demonstrates how both employers and employees can benefit from these workplace changes and also empowers individuals to initiate workplace flexibility rather than waiting for employers to make changes. Recognising that each individual's work and personal circumstances are unique, the book offers solutions that take these differences into account. It details a 10-step plan, however, that can be adapted to suit most situations.

"A plan that includes working out what you want, reviewing your workplace, developing a support base, establishing the effect of any changes on key players and finally successfully integrating the new, more flexible arrangement.

"The book also details ways to keep the workplace flexible and assess your performance and includes useful contacts and resources."

Talking Kids Magazine:
"Are you looking for a healthier balance between your work and personal life? Do you enjoy the work you do, but want more time to look after the other things in life that matter to you? Time On, Time Out! offers you all the information, strategies and confidence you need to negotiate the work/life balance you're looking for."

Reader's Feast Book Guide:
"There has been a revolution in the roles and expectations of men and women in our working society. This book outlines a variety of arrangements for striking a more flexible work/life balance and offers strategies on how to achieve them, using detailed case studies and clear step-by-step advice."

North Shore Times, by Mary Powis:
"Two North Shore women who have managed to achieve a balance between their work and personal life share their strategies in this self help guide to a better lifestyle.

"Susan Biggs of Naremburn and Kerry Fallon Horgan of Willoughby, both working parents, explain how this balance can be achieved through more flexible work practices. Part-time work, job sharing, extended leave, home offices and flexible hours are among the solutions they advocate.

"For women curious to know which companies are family-friendly, they show how AMP Financial Services, The Body Shop, Westpac and the NRMA are implementing flexible work practices.

"There has been a revolution in the workplace," Kerry said. "Traditional work practices do not support quality of life. People reach a certain level of income and find they are spending more time at work to buy things they have less time to enjoy. Today there is an increasing trend towards wanting a balance between work and personal life. Organisational leaders are realizing the benefits. flexible work practices result in higher morale among employees, better staff retention, a drop in absenteeism, and greater productivity."

"Kerry is principal of Flexibility at Work, a consultancy specializing in organisational change and flexible work practices.

"Susan, a founding director of Families at Work (a company which researches work and family issues), is a member of the Premier's Council for Women.

"Working and being a parent is a tough call," Susan said.

"However, many women do not realize there may be a way of arranging their work so their lives are less stressful. We wrote the book to help them think outside the square and realize there is a choice. I have met women who were sure their manager would not agree to job sharing or part-time work and were pleasantly surprised when the manager agreed."

"A list of useful contacts and resources is included at the end of the book."

Courier-Mail, by Kylie Lang:
"If you are tired of juggling an increasingly heavy workload with an ever-hectic personal life, it could be time to stop, consider your options and make a change for the better.

"Why let stress get the upper hand when you do have choices? You mightn't be able to see these choices at first but they do exist, according to the authors of a new book, Time On, Time Out! (Allen & Unwin)

"Susan Biggs and Kerry Fallon Horgan, both working parents, say achieving flexibility at your workplace allows you to create the life you want to live instead of simply reacting to everyday stresses as they occur.

"This may mean working part-time, job-sharing, having flexible hours, working from home or taking extended periods of leave. The possibilities are vast and many are already in place at some organisations which believe that a more flexible workplace structure not only benefits employees but also improves the overall quality of output and boosts the bottom line.

'Westpac bank, for example, which employs 30,000 people, has won awards for its flexible work practices which chief Bob Joss considers as "good business sense".

"At the Body Shop, initiatives such as parental leave for casual staff after two years, the creation of a 54-place children's centre and a six-week nappy-wash service after the birth of a baby are reaping rewards.

"Biggs and Fallon Horgan say the financial benefits of a flexible workplace - improved morale, better staff retention, lower rates of absenteeism, stress reduction and competitive recruiting - are enormous. Cost savings in such areas as a reduction in office space and infrastructure, and maximizing the use of expensive machinery are other bonuses.

"But many companies are still reluctant to embrace change. It conflicts with the organizational culture, which may mean "an overt encouragement of workaholism and other forms of addictive behaviour", the authors say.

"An important aspect of changing organizational culture is the need to examine and test existing beliefs… this was vividly illustrated to the Affirmative Action Agency when various accounting firms reported that they assumed women left the firms in order to have babies."

"In reality, only 7 percent left to have a family. The rest left to work for smaller, more flexible organisations.

"So what can you do to change the culture of your workplace?

"Biggs and Fallon Horgan suggest starting small, with areas you have the power to influence, and building on your successes.

"Discuss the possibilities of flexible practices with your colleagues, boss and human resources manager. Find a out about existing practices and seek a trial period to establish the effectiveness for everyone concerned.

"First, you should decide what type of flexibility you are seeking and this can be done by roughing out a life plan.

1. Write down all the things you want to do in your life, then list what is most important to you. Health, relationships, family, work, community, leisure etc.
2. Decide what you want to achieve in these areas and how to go about it. If it's health, you might want to lose 5kg. For this, you could walk* for 30 minutes three times a week.
3. Consider what it will take to maintain your plan and who it will affect.