Will I be able to keep working?

I stopped working for my previous employer early on in the States term, because there was a lot of overlap between my States’ responsibilities and my other work, and I didn’t want to run into any conflicts of interest. That’s one thing you might need to take into account.

If you currently work for the States, as a civil servant or other public sector employee, you will be obliged to resign from your employed role as soon as you are elected.

But otherwise, it’s really down to you. A fair number of Deputies have continued to work on a part-time basis in their previous professional role, throughout their time in the States. I’d recommend talking to them about how they manage it.

I think a commitment of about 10 hours per week tends to be the maximum most people can fit in, but of course it varies enormously, depending on what kind of Committee work you have, how flexibly your employer is prepared to let you work, and so on.

If you’re only planning on doing one or two terms as a Deputy, it’s a great idea to keep in touch with your professional world. It may even give you some more security in terms of what happens afterwards, which can help you have the courage to take this step.

Continuing to work part-time doesn’t mean you’re any less committed to your role as a States Member – the working-age Deputies who’ve done so this term are also among the most committed and hard-working politicians we’re lucky to have.

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