Flexible work arrangements aren’t new, but their adoption has rapidly accelerated since 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quarantines, lockdowns, border closures, and mandated physical distancing suddenly saw millions of people around the world working from home almost overnight.
More than a year in, it’s clear that this shift is here to stay and that many people prefer it. Stanwell has embraced the new ways of work, recognising that additional flexibility around working arrangements benefits everyone.
Implementing flexible working arrangements allows for a better balance between work, family, and lifestyle responsibilities. What this looks like varies depending on the team, responsibilities, and nature of work.
One team at Stanwell that has taken a team-wide approach is the Stanwell Energy retail team.
Stanwell Energy General Manager, Jennifer Tarr, explained her team’s arrangements and how they’ve worked together to create an arrangement that works for the whole team.
“After working from home during the initial COVID-19 lockdown, our team wanted to adopt a balance of working from home and the office,” Jen said.
“The Stanwell Energy leaders discussed how we could best manage this preference, noting that the team enjoys spending time together in person.
“We decided to trial an arrangement with set days where everyone must attend the office, and other days where individuals can choose to either work from home or attend the office.”
After six months of this arrangement, Jen checked in to see what was working, and if they needed to make any adjustments to their approach.
“We conducted an internal survey to review the arrangements. Results showed that the team were happy with the arrangement but wanted some flexibility on choosing the days to attend the office in-person,” said Jen.
“We decided to vote on this every quarter. Initially we were in the office Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, but after our first review we switched to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the office.
“Everyone follows the same schedule, with the benefit being that your colleagues are there on the days when you do come into the office.”
Moving to a flexible work arrangement like this means that the team can balance the needs of individual and collaborative work.
“The days that Stanwell Energy attend the office are very noisy as we catch up socially and collaborate in person,” Jen said.
“Our days at home are productive for work better done in a quiet environment. I look forward to the variation between seeing my colleagues in the office and working on my own at home.
“The arrangement has suited our team well, but might not be for every team. Each team is different, and leaders should discuss working arrangements with their team, possibly through an anonymous survey.”
Flexible working arrangements aren’t just a mix of working from home and working from the office – they’re options that aim for the best match between the interests of Stanwell and individual employees. Flexible work has been proven to improve productivity and provide employees with greater choices to achieve a balance between their work and personal obligations.
Stanwell recognises the changing nature of work and personal life, and acknowledges that flexible work arrangements contribute to the attraction and retention of skilled and experienced employees.
Stanwell offers a variety of flexible work options, for those in roles suited to such an arrangement, including:
| Flexible work arrangement | Description |
| Flexible work hours | Modified start or finish times, or a compressed week with the same number of hours – for example, a nine-day fortnight or four-day week |
| Changes in work hours | Part time working arrangements |
| Working from home | Working remotely |
| Job sharing | One full-time equivalent (FTE) shared between multiple employees |
| Transition to retirement | Plan in place which is working towards designated retirement date |
| Purchased leave | Additional annual leave purchased throughout the year as weekly pay deduction. Regular pay is then maintained while on leave. |
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