Life at Aon – Flexible working and my experience! James

The words “flexible working” are becoming more and more common in today’s workplace, with advantages for both the employer and the employee. “Flexible working” is distinctly different from “working from home”. “Flexible working” gives employees the freedom to manage their own time, a move away from the typical 9 to 5. In some areas “flexible working” is not viable as there is the need for core hours and a presence in an office, but for many employees a change in working style has a big impact on their engagement, wellbeing and work-life balance. For employers it improves staff morale, retention, engagement, productivity and creativity.   

Does this sound familiar; Get up, get child up, drop child off at nursery, go to work, leave work, pick child up from nursery, get home, put child to bed, go to gym, eat at 9pm, go to bed. Then the same again for the rest of the week??

Life is busy, I accept that. What Aon allows me to do, however, is to take some time back for myself to do the things that matter to me. My wife and I both have busy jobs and with a 2 year old and another boy due any day, work flexibility is vital to my sanity and to the ability to spend valuable time with my family. Aon’s move away from the 9-5 means I can drop my Son off at the childminders and also leave work slightly early to pick him up when and if my wife is stuck at work (meaning that she doesn’t have to leave mid-meeting). At previous companies presenteeism was rife, colleagues sat at their desks after 6pm doing nothing, simply to look like model employees. Aon treats me like an adult and allows me to manage my diary and workload effectively without feeling guilty. Driving my Son to and from the childminders singing his favourite songs and talking repeatedly about his day are the highlights of my day. If it weren’t for Aon’s progressive nature, I would miss these precious moments.

We all have different personal circumstances. Mine aside, it’s great to be able to offer the same flexibility to my team and see them go running at lunch, volunteer at local charities, arrive late so they can attend School assemblies and Nativity plays, leave work early to go to the gym or indeed pick their own children up from School.

My advice for anyone concerned about their own work-life balance would be to think about what’s important to you; what will allow you to fulfil your full potential at work yet still give you the freedom to focus on the things that matter outside of work? What would make work a better place to be? For me, work-life balance is as important as compensation. Seeing and experiencing the mental and physical well-being that our work environment creates makes me proud so say “I’m from Aon”.

Whether you're an experienced professional or just embarking on your career, Aon has an opportunity for you. As the world's premier insurance brokerage and consulting firm, with offices in more than 120 countries, Aon offers a tremendous variety of opportunities and career paths around the globe.

James Tovey