5 Organisations setting the standard for workplace flexibility

Overview

• Five WORK180 Endorsed Employers share the flexibility practices, policies, and lived experiences that go beyond hybrid work to genuinely support their people.
• The most effective approaches design flexibility into roles from the start, measure performance on outcomes rather than presence, and ensure access isn’t limited by seniority or job type.
• Real stories show flexibility enabling people to manage chronic health conditions, pursue elite sport, share caregiving equally at home, and build careers without compromise.
• From reproductive health leave to shift swapping, disability adjustments to leadership modelling — these employers are embedding flexibility into culture, not just policy.

Featured in this story

Accenture | AEMO | Powerlink | Rheinmetall | SYSTRA ANZ

There’s a version of workplace flexibility that looks good on a careers page and a version that actually changes someone’s day. The employers getting it right know the difference, and they’re not treating the two as the same.

That has changed. Accenture Australia now actively promotes and normalises flexible arrangements across the organisation, and treats them as a legitimate way of working. 

Critically, these policies aren’t reserved for employees who meet specific eligibility criteria. Every request is given equal weight, on the principle that everyone’s time and wellbeing matters.

Accenture also reinforces the boundaries that make flexibility sustainable: promoting the right to disconnect, being mindful of meeting timing, and normalising asynchronous collaboration so that flexibility doesn’t quietly become an expectation of constant availability.

“We now are much better at sharing and celebrating flexibility so others can see how to manage their own needs as they evolve. Sometimes that means putting in more hours to get something done for a deadline, and sometimes that means taking the morning off to see the book day parade.”

85% of Accenture Australia employees say they feel empowered to work flexibly. The organisation holds certification as a Family Inclusive Workplace and is endorsed by WORK180.

For Senior Talent Acquisition Partner Karen Holker, that framework has been genuinely life-changing.

Living with endometriosis, Karen has used the flexibility and leave provisions to invest in a functional health journey, complete a Diploma in Nutrition, and work towards certification as a health and wellbeing coach, alongside voluntary mentoring in the endometriosis community.

“AEMO offers an environment that makes it possible to truly thrive, not just perform.”

The data backs the culture. In AEMO’s 2025 Culture and Engagement survey, 94% of employees responded favourably on whether they are genuinely supported to use flexible working arrangements — alongside an inclusion score of 86% favourable.

Recruitment Coordinator Maddy Baldwin competes at elite amateur level. Balancing training loads, recovery, and competition schedules with a full-time role is something many employers talk around. Powerlink works with it.

“Having an employer that understands that has made a huge difference. Whether that’s leaving early for training, adjusting my hours, or being able to step away from work when I’ve had the chance to compete, there’s always been that trust there.”

What Maddy didn’t anticipate was how much the organisation would actively celebrate her achievements; sharing them internally, sparking conversations across the business with people who share similar interests.

That structure matters. But what gives it meaning is the culture that sits behind it, and Recruitment Manager Iwona Kurpiewska’s story captures that better than any policy document could.

Iwona has lived in the UK for over ten years, building a life with her husband and four-year-old son without family nearby. She describes the daily reality of balancing professional life with solo parenting as something flexibility has made manageable.

One morning, asked to attend an 8:30am meeting when her husband had already left for work at 7:00am, she messaged her manager to say she would do her best to arrive as soon as she could after nursery drop-off.

The response: “Please do not rush. It’s honestly fine. Just be safe, please.”

“I cannot put into words how grateful I am for this kind of understanding and for the workplace I am part of.”

Iwona’s reflection is direct: 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and individual circumstances are considered at every level of the business.

For Simon, the practical benefits extend into his work as well. The confidential nature of talent acquisition conversations is easier to manage from home than from an open-plan office.