Case study: Extending flexible work to anywhere, including overseas

For professional services firms KPMG and Deloitte, flexibility has been transformed since the pandemic to recognise the needs of staff.?

KPMG National Managing Partner People & Inclusion, Dorothy Hisgrove, said the firm is now focused on evolving the way they work.

“There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to working – our lives are different, our roles are varied, and we have proven that we can adapt and flex to get the best outcomes for ourselves, each other and our clients and communities. It’s not just about where we work anymore but how we work,” Ms Hisgrove said.

In 2021, the firm announced their new remote policy will be expanded to allow work and travel to be combined.

“Our new ‘Work Anywhere’ policy aims to allow our people to flex and work in a way that makes sense and suits them. The options are broad and many, including from home, at a client site, in an office, or in another country when visiting friends and family overseas.”

It’s a change that has gained traction in the sector.

Deloitte Australia’s Chief Human Resources Officer Tina McCreery said the firm has restructured their flex policy to allow staff to extend an overseas trip in specific countries, and work remotely for up to eight weeks.?

“With the re-opening of the borders, we have had a lot of feedback from our team about their desire to travel overseas for extended visits to reconnect with family,” she said.

“The Deloitte leadership team wanted to support and facilitate this travel by providing our people the ability to combine a holiday with the ability to work remotely and stay connected with their teams and clients.

“This has been a complex exercise due to the need to navigate different working visa and taxation rules, but we are really pleased we will be able to offer this in multiple jurisdictions to enable our people to work remotely where this option makes practical and individual sense.”

It is just one of the 12 flexible working options under the refreshed DeloitteFlex framework, that allows employees to design their work week around their work and life commitments.

Read more case studies on implementing flexible work here: How employers are flexing differently after the pandemic