A while ago, I shared a photo on Workplace (AMP’s internal news channel) with my team of how I put flexible work into action. I came across that post again the other day, coincidentally having just walked into work a little late after dropping my girls off at school. It made me reflect on how far we’ve come on workplace flexibility in a relatively short space of time.
I’m really pleased to be able to say all AMP Bank roles are All Flex because flexibility is for everyone.
With this in mind, I invited our employees to share how they make Flex work for them and their examples are fantastic. It’s really strengthened my belief that flexible work is not just for working mums. It’s also thinking flexibly about who else could benefit.
Don’t get me wrong – for working mums and working dads, adjusting hours to make the school pickup is a big one. However, it’s so rewarding to see so many examples of workplace flexibility in action in my team, and I love the little reminders – a child in the background of a work teleconference, our CFO working at home on Wednesdays to be with the kids.
One dad recently worked from home to look after his son, to enable his wife to focus on finding her feet in a new work role. A team member with a chronic illness works from hospital on days when she needs an infusion and would otherwise need to take annual leave. Horses are a passion for another member of our team, who works from home so she can leave earlier for competitions on Friday afternoons. And for a recent new starter, working from home simply allows uninterrupted time to concentrate on induction modules.
Working flexibly looks different to different people and it is really important we have an open, ongoing conversation about it. So, in the time since I first asked the question, all AMP Bank leaders have asked their employees what flexibility might mean for them.
Available flexibility might include things like job-sharing, purchasing leave and taking career breaks. Traditional arrangements work best for some people and this is okay too, but situations change and it’s important that people know there are options to them.
Flexible working arrangements are proven to benefit employers as well; improving productivity and bringing employees back to work who may otherwise been restricted (OECD).
Employees shouldn’t need an excuse to work this way, because a culture of flexibility helps them to be their best self both at work and at home. If it’s an opportunity afforded to everyone, we can more successfully break down workplace culture barriers that cause people to hesitate to ask for flexible arrangements.
I am personally grateful for how workplace flexibility allows me to live a higher version of my life. And I’m really proud that flexibility is the norm in AMP Bank. In my experience, organizations and teams will only benefit when they embrace flexibility.
This post was originally published by Sally Bruce.
About AMP
In 2017, AMP was again named an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. And by the end of 2020, the company aims to have women in 47% of senior executive roles and 50% of middle management roles. Maybe one of those women could be you. Visit the AMP employer page to see what else is on offer.
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WORK180 is an international jobs network that connects smart businesses with talented women. We pre-screen every employer on our jobs board to see where they stand on pay equity, flexible working, paid parental leave, equal opportunities and a range of other criteria. We also take into account diversity initiatives focusing on age, ability, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
The information we uncover is made public on our website, so that everyone knows what to expect from each employer before applying for a job. We continually review and evolve our pre-screening criteria to ensure workplaces are fair and equal for everyone.