Finding balance with family and success
by Hannah Wilson, Safe and Well Advisor
Before I started at Yarra Valley Water in 2024, I was working full time in an office that required a three-hour round trip each day.
That meant I had to get my 2 small children to childcare before sunrise and I wouldn’t pick them up until after dark.
It wasn’t ideal for work-life balance.
I had to wake my kids from sleep to get them into care, then sit in traffic for an hour and a half each way just to get to a 9-to-5 job.
Then I’d come home, cook dinner, and put them to bed.
Flexibility is key
Now that I’m working from home, I can let them sleep as much as they need, enjoy a more relaxed morning, and on nice afternoons, I can even pick them up early.
I love that I can finish my work after they’ve gone to bed, and I can be present when they need me during the day.
A hybrid working environment
When I saw the job for a Safe and Well Advisor advertised at Yarra Valley Water, the hybrid working model was the first thing that caught my eye.
Yarra Valley Water truly supports a healthy balance between work and personal life. There’s recognition, staff are happier and more productive with flexibility and autonomy offered.
I only work a couple of days in the office and the rest at home. It works so well for my family and I.
Succeeding at work
Yarra Valley Water’s people-based safety model – designed to keep staff and contractors safe at work while keeping them actively engaged in safety and wellbeing – really made me go after the role.
All of my projects require collaboration to succeed, and that’s also the key to success when it comes to safety.
For me, it’s about our people and contractors having the solutions and working with them to be safe and successful in what they do – not telling them how to do their jobs.
It’s incredibly motivating to feel the appreciation from staff and contractors when their voices are heard.
Spreading the word
Whenever my friends or family ask what it’s like working at Yarra Valley Water, I tell them it’s amazing.
The thought and effort that goes into providing flexibility and options to improve work-life balance and mental health, while still maintaining a strong connection with colleagues, is perfect for people like me with small kids.
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