Councillors, on average, commit the equivalent of three days a week to the role. This can be challenging but many councillors are able to do it. Not all council commitments are during the working day but also in the evenings and at weekends. It helps if your employer can give you time off for council duties, such as attending meetings. It’s a good idea to talk to them about this before standing. The skills you learn as a councillor and your links with the community can benefit your employer.
Some roles, such as leaders and cabinet members, are generally regarded as full time, however some members do manage to maintain their jobs elsewhere.
Councils will do all they can to accommodate you, such as varying the times of meetings so that you can attend. You can be very clear with your constituents about the times that you’d be able to meet with them, take their calls and respond to emails so that you don’t get swamped. All councils currently operate remote or hybrid meetings via Teams or Zoom, this means that councillors can attend meetings from home or work, which reduces travel and provides for much greater flexibility.