Hi everyone! The other day I found myself on the celebrity conspiracy theory side of TikTok, and now I’ve spent no fewer than 4 hours in a deep Avril Lavigne Wikipedia rabbit hole. Billing this on my timesheet under “research.”

Today’s musical accompaniment: How could it not be this Avril ballad? And if you bring up the fact that it’s 20 years old…I swear.

We’ve got some good Qs today, so without further ado…

—Rod

Are Flex Hours too Complicated?

 question 
What are your thoughts on flexible hours? I’m tired of working when the Boomers work, and some days I need a slow morning or a midday break I can make up for later at night. I feel like people say they support a flexible schedule but then they have a problem when someone else’s schedule doesn’t line up with theirs.—K.

 answer 
I know my whole personality is work to live > live to work, but flexible hours can be tricky. It really depends on your job and team dynamics. Let me explain.

My current job is super flexible: I can have my chill pre-work mornings to take a long walk and soak up as much Vitamin D as Chicago winters allow. But I know not everyone has the job title of “professional TikToker/voice of the millennial generation.”

Which means flexible hours aren’t for everyone. If your work is mostly a solo endeavor that doesn’t require a ton of team collaboration, why not opt for the graveyard shift if that’s when you feel your best? But if you’re, say, a manager who needs to be available for questions? I can see this becoming an issue—can’t imagine your direct report who goes to a 5am hot yoga class every morning is going to love having an all-hands at 9:30pm.

But there are ways to make your work schedule…work. While it wasn’t a *total* free for all at my old job, I was able to make a part-time flex schedule that was beneficial to both myself and my employees. Obviously there will be times when duty calls, but two things that allowed me the freedom to rewatch Happy Endings at 11am on any given Tuesday:

Planning ahead. Whether you’re managing others or they’re managing you, agree on a specific day every week to have meetings. Scheduling 15-minute individual weekly check-ins to go over questions/concerns eliminates a lot of the panic of getting a “can you chat real quick?” Slack in the middle of your weekly Wednesday Whole Foods run.

Overcomms. Allow me to introduce one of the WorkDaze team’s favorite concepts—overcomms, short for over-communications. Cluing your coworkers in on when you feel most productive or when you really just need to take an hour-long midday shower helps everyone do their jobs better, as a team. If you have a positive relationship and everyone trusts that everyone else will get their sh*t done, there’s no harm in setting your Slack status to “Busy - need a TikTok break” and checking out for 20 minutes (okay an hour).

That Post-Layoff Bounceback

 question 
After several years as a teacher, I decided to put my mental health first and left the classroom in pursuit of a job with better work-life balance. I landed at an edtech company and loved my new role for six months. Then, like so many in the edtech world recently, I got laid off last week. It felt gutting and confusing and made me question everything. Any advice on bouncing back after a layoff?—S.

 answer 
True Life: I used to be a teacher. And I experienced more burnout in that job than in anything else I’ve ever done—so I get it. I’m sorry to hear about your layoff, but I’m proud of you for putting your health and happiness first and taking the leap into a new field.

My advice? Don’t let this one setback make you think you made the wrong decision by leaving the classroom. My WorkDaze editor said this would be a great time to invoke some Taylor Swift wisdom? She was insistent that I include this lyric: “Everything you lose is a step you take.” Think of it that way—this is a chance to take a step forward. Here’s how to start doing that.

Assess the skills you have. From making custom Slack reactions to actually getting a company stipend for school supplies (shoutout to all you teachers ❤️), I’m sure you picked up a lot during those six months at your last company.

What skills did you learn? What skills did you love learning? Let those feelings guide you toward your next role, even if it’s totally outside of education.

Don’t overthink it. Don’t let the amount of time you were at your last company keep you from applying to higher-level roles in the corporate world.

Important skills like communication, leadership, collaboration, and adaptability are all 1) transferable qualities that corporate employers look for and 2) skills most teachers already have.

Remember, bouncing back from a layoff can take time, and that’s completely normal! The good news is that the start of the year brings new opportunities. I have hope that you’ll find something soon. Rooting for you! 🫶

Got a Q for me to A? Submit yours here.

Things to Slack your work besties

…as you send your last email of the day at 2pm.

You’re not always going to be obsessed with or totally fulfilled by your job, and sometimes that’s for the best! Repeat after me: work to live.

This iconic Vanity Fair cover still lives rent free in my mind, so let’s play a game! It’s 2003, and you’re dressed in your finest layered camis and hip-hugging jeans. What three legends below are you meeting up with at the mall?

Caring less about things that absolutely don’t matter? Sign me up. Based on the best-selling book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a “cinematic documentary designed to help us become less awful people.” I’m listening…

Thanks so much for reading! See you back here on Monday to talk about why five-day in-office work weeks are absolutely archaic IMHO.

IDK WHAT DO I KNOW?! LMAO!

—Rod