Flexible Service case study: Squadron Leader Tom Goble video transcript
Updated 28 April 2023
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My name is Tom Goble. I鈥檓 a Flight Lieutenant and I鈥檓 currently the
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SO3 Combat Air for the A6 Air Programme鈥檚 Office.
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I applied for a 20 percent reduction in my working hours.
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I鈥檇 always kind of fancied myself as a bit of a musician to be honest but I
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never knew how I compared to the guys who did it for a living rather than
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the guys I met in the Air Force who kind of just did it for fun. I felt like I was just missing
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that aspect of my life and I wasn鈥檛 really finding a good balance between
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being in the Air Force and still finding the time to get out and prep for gigs
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And go to gigs. So it was when a friend of mine introduced me to the idea of
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Flexible Service where you could actually, you know, almost buy back a bit of that
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time. So that鈥檚 why I took it. I went to see my one-up and my two-up and just sort of
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explain what I wanted to do. They were massively supportive and yeah it just kind of went to.
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So, with modern times now, our flexible working is really important because people expect more
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flexibility. If it鈥檚 even for childcare or travel or a bit like Tom doing another interest like music.
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Me and Tom worked together you know looking at what work we had
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what meetings were coming up but we鈥檙e always prioritising anyway.
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We just try and plan a bit further ahead for which days he was going to have off.
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I feel like the RAF has that modern way of working that I can
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use to my benefit, so they get more back from me in the time I am here.
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It鈥檚 been a great balance keeping that regular income
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and also to have the music aspect as well, you know getting that day a week
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just to, like I say, just to prep for those gigs and sort my admin out or do any studio
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Work stuff like that. It鈥檚 been a really good balance. For me it鈥檚 just been great.