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December 22, 2019

Flexible Work and Finding Your Purpose

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Robert Lloyd wanted a sea change after 26 years as a paramedic, joined WORK180 as part of its founding team as the Operations Manager and has never looked back. Since then, Robert’s role has grown to a variety of responsibilities and he particularly loves having a regular sleeping pattern after years of shift work; “it’s good for mind and body.”

Benefits of Flexible Working

WORK180 is a fully flexible company, meaning they don’t have an office. The entire team works from home, during hours and using ways of working that suit them best (I’m writing this from the car wash café right now, skipping the weekend queues).

After years of being woken to “dash off to an emergency call,” Robert loves the flexibility, saying,

“I work without distractions; travel costs are negligible & I save a couple of hours each day from no commute requirement. All these things add up to a much better quality of life, especially health and mental wellbeing.”

Figuring Out an Operating Rhythm

As a paramedic, Robert was amongst other people during his working hours, including an ambulance crew mate. I asked whether he ever feels isolated working from home, and how to combat that.

“It’s fair to say I miss the camaraderie and messroom banter of the ambulance station, but I do chat a lot with the WORK180 team via various forums. My colleagues are entirely supportive and friendly. The privilege of flexible working offsets the things I miss.”

When you transition from within an office 9am – 5pm (or 8am – 6pm!) finding your own operating rhythm can be tricky. One of WORK180’s co-founders, Gemma, likes working really early in the morning but then doesn’t even try to be productive across the 3pm slump.

Robert finds he works best by going for a long morning walk with his dog and is ready to hit his inbox around 10am. He also works well at night, often online from 7:30 – 11pm when there are no distractions, but balances his schedule around his personal life.

When I asked how he avoids working 12 hour days with respective schedule, Robert shares,

“I find the fatigue from working longer hours greatly impacts how I perform the next day. As a paramedic it was critical to get to places and care for people straight away. Whereas with this role, if I’m busy and unable to complete a task today, it’s not going to be a problem, I’ll just do it tomorrow.“

“I think I’ve hit a good balance now between rest, play and work.”

Robert’s Home Office

Robert has a dedicated home office with his drum kit set up by his side. When he needs a break, he sometimes plays to re-energise.

Alongside his dog, Robert lives “in something of a menagerie. I live on acreage, with sheep and chickens. I encourage native birds onto the land and try to take pictures of the various species. When I’m not working, I manage the land and animals, as well as social and family gatherings”

Finding Your Purpose

When Robert told us what he finds most rewarding about WORK180, he replied,

“It’s obviously a business, but it’s also a movement. We are actively improving the workplace for minority groups – especially women – and seeking fairness and equality.

I was in the workforce from the early 1980s and things were woeful back then. I’ve witnessed the gender imbalance and seen inappropriate behaviour. Things are improving but I feel there’s a real need for companies like WORK180; there’s still work to do.”

Robert pointed out that when companies become WORK180 Endorsed Employers they often impact the rest of their industries;

BHP, for example, have had a domino effect with other mining companies also reaching out to be associated with our brand.”

As one company becomes a WORK180 Endorsed Employer and operate under best practice, their competitors need to jump on board to remain competitive in the employment market. WORK180 is having a ripple effect that we haven’t seen the edge of yet.

When he talks about people joining WORK180, he advises,

“You’ve got to be committed to what we’re trying to achieve. Because we work remotely, it’s important we are motivated in trying to bring about change. To anyone wishing to part of the WORK180 movement, give 100% and you’ll love it; you’ll love so many aspects of what’s being achieved”

“We’ve such an amazingly motivated and dedicated team and great community to work with.”

WORK180 are currently hiring. Check out our job opportunities here

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About the Author
WORK180 promotes organizational standards that raise the bar for women in the workplace. We only endorse employers that are committed to making real progress so that all women can expect better.

Looking for a new opportunity?

Our transparent job board only has vacancies from employers we endorse and lets you see what benefits, policies and perks come with the job.