Petrol head goes it alone

"When I had my baby girl, I negotiated with a sympathetic female colleague to work from home one day a week. However, the HR Director wouldn’t write the day at home into my contract. It was seen as a perk. I finally challenged him during my appraisal and he agreed that I was extremely productive during my one day at home. Home working just wasn’t part of the HR policy. So I prepared a presentation on flexible working for the board, which seemed to go well. However, old ways of working die hard. A month later, I was passed over for promotion. Three months after that, I resigned and became a freelance consultant. They just didn’t have the flexibility to keep me."

Selina, 37, Former Head of Research, Petro-chemical Company