How Flex Works for Me at Quorum – Pamela Mundt.

Marketing Manger

When I spotted that the theme for Work Life Week this year is “ALL KINDS OF FLEX FOR ALL KINDS OF FAMILIES,” I immediately thought of my own experiences at Quorum. This theme is about showing that flexible working is for everybody. The aim is to get both employers and employees talking about wellbeing at work and work-life balance and show there are flexible options to fit every need and lifestyle.

People tend to think that flexible working is just for working parents, mothers in particular, and relates to shorter working weeks or childcare.

Over the years at Quorum, I have personally benefited from their approach to flexible working, and I believe I’m a good example of how flex means different things to different people. I live alone, I’m not married, and I don’t have children. So, my flex has nothing to do with so-called “traditional” needs for flexible working patterns.

Example 1 – Health:

Earlier in my Quorum career, I had a health issue that required weekly Doctor’s appointments at a hospital in Edinburgh. The clinic I had to visit only gave appointments during the working day, Monday to Friday, and so taking time away from the office was entirely unavoidable.

I was nervous to approach this, but they could not have been more understanding, and I was able to attend my appointments with ease. I made sure that my work was always completed, and I made up the hours elsewhere in the day or week. It was all smooth, easy, and caused no issues whatsoever. More importantly, I was never made to feel awkward or like I was causing any problems.

Example 2 – Pandemic:

During the pandemic, Quorum was forced to close their offices, and all employees were required to work from home. During this time, my mental health really suffered. I was living alone in a very small flat that had zero additional space for a desk and chair. My teammate was furloughed, and so I felt very isolated and overwhelmed. I spoke to my boss and the Operations Director and explained that I was really struggling. When it was legally allowed, they came up with the solution of allowing me to work from the office alone if I followed sanitising and lone-working protocols. This gave me some much-needed breathing space outside of my tiny flat and saved my poor back as I was working cross-legged on the sofa!

I also had the opportunity to take breaks when needed throughout the day and even some additional days off when things felt particularly bad. Quorum also encouraged all employees to get outside when lockdown rules permitted and take some time out of the day to get sunlight and exercise. We started a Teams channel called “Walk Around the Block” where people could share their walking routes and post pictures and videos of fun, beautiful, or interesting things they encountered during their walks, with a prize for the winning entry at the end of each week. It helped us all feel connected and was a literal breath of fresh air when we could have been chained to our desks.

Example 2.1 – Pandemic, again:

I had a run of bad luck during lockdown, and my mum was diagnosed with a terminal illness. This was a very stressful time, trying to juggle lockdown and various levels of restrictions. Again, Quorum did not hesitate to give me the space and time to deal with hospital visits and later hospice stays in Glasgow and allowed me to help my mum get her affairs in order. I was allowed to structure my days and weeks to accommodate this while still getting my workload done. It took some pressure off during a really difficult time.

Sadly, 3 months after diagnosis, my mum died. The responsibility fell to me to complete any necessary paperwork, admin, the funeral, etc. This was especially tricky during the pandemic with delays and other businesses or council departments working on skeleton staff and with furloughs. Quorum offered me extended compassionate leave during this time, and I couldn’t be more grateful. This was a stark contrast to a previous employer who gave me 2 days’ leave and made me feel very pressured during similar circumstances. I’ll never forget the kindness shown to me by Quorum, especially given the horrible experience I had previously.

I still checked into work when I could and made sure important tasks were completed to “keep the lights on.” This was the least I could do given how generous they had been. It’s this give and take that I believe really makes flex work for both the employer and the employee.

Example 3 – Part-Time Working:

More recently, to have capacity for various things in my life, I discussed moving my position part-time to 4 days per week. I now work Monday to Thursday, with the understanding that if some extra needs are required or if this has to shift sometimes, then I’ll be accommodating. This has been working really well so far, and both Quorum and I are happy with my output. The department is still thriving!

This arrangement has made a huge difference to me, and I’m so grateful to have that option, and even more grateful that it has never been called into question, and I’ve never been made to feel uncomfortable or that I’m contributing less. They trust my dedication and that I’ll do the right thing.

The Reality:

Of course, like everything, remote, hybrid, and flexible working are not a perfect utopia. For me, I’ve felt some downsides. The office is no longer what it used to be, with many people choosing to work completely remotely or visiting the office infrequently. I don’t think I realised how often I socialised with colleagues until the option was taken away and days with only a couple of people in the office can feel lonely.

We’ve grown our workforce, so I no longer feel like I know all my colleagues, and in my opinion, I feel like we’ve become a little more siloed into our individual teams. This is tricky for a small marketing department that often relied on “watercooler chat” and knowing with regularity who would be in the office and when, to allow us to spend face-to-face time with each of the teams. It now takes a lot more effort to keep up-to-date with things.

However, I’d never grudge my colleagues the ability to work flexibly as I know how much easier it has made my life at times, and I’ve benefited first-hand from flex in the various ways described above.

Not all roles lend themselves to some elements of flexible working due to the nature of the job or shift patterns, etc., but I know that my colleagues can take advantage of the same benefits of choosing where they work from and incorporating appointments, exercise, dropping off and picking up children, etc., into the working day, without this being called into question. The rule seems to be, if you get your work done, on time, and to a high standard, then there is less emphasis on how this is achieved. This is a win/win/win situation for Quorum, its employees, and its clients.

Overall, though, I believe flex, remote, and hybrid working to be of enormous benefit to both Quorum and its employees. The flexibility and kindness shown to employees is one of the big reasons I’ve been at the company for over 7 years and have no intention of moving elsewhere anytime soon.

Even on the occasions I get itchy feet, I’m reminded that the grass isn’t always greener, and I’d much rather be with a supportive and caring company who truly makes me feel respected. In return, Quorum gets a dedicated, hardworking, and loyal employee who truly values the company and its culture.

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