William Daymond believes that being flexible in the workplace is more than just hybrid work policies
Flexibility in an organisation is more than just going hybrid – it extends to a number of different facets, according to Galderma head of legal and compliance (ANZ) William Daymond.
When the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way the legal profession operated in 2020, the 2022 Rising Star, who made history at the global dermatology company when he became its first Australia-based lawyer, struggled with work-life balance as a father trying to work from home, and it gave him a deep appreciation for flexibility in the workplace.
“Over the last two years, I have had my computer set up on the dining table in an open-plan living–dining room. Creating that work-life separation was very difficult, especially when having a two-year-old running around singing loudly, throwing tantrums and everything in between,” Daymond said.
The pandemic has driven both law firms and organisations to launch initiatives centred on being more flexible, but he believes “more can be done.”
“Flexibility isn’t simply about implementing hybrid work policies. It extends to flexibility as to hours of work, for example start and finish times or gaps in between; work patterns, for example job sharing; and public holiday switching, for example switching the Queen’s Birthday for Chinese New Year.”
By enhancing what flexibility means to a workplace, it can bolster diversity and inclusion efforts in addition to helping with retention.
“If businesses can retain talent in this challenging environment, it can help stop the loss of institutional knowledge, skills and relationships and keep productivity and morale high. By minimising turnover, it can help avoid the time, effort and cost of recruiting new employees,” Daymond explained.
William Daymond is one of Australasian Lawyer’s Rising Stars for 2022.
