Flexible working at APRA: how two of our insurance leaders are paving the way in successful job-sharing arrangements

At APRA, we’re committed to helping our people achieve an optimal work-life balance. All APRA employees have access to flexible working arrangements which have been designed to support and empower our people to achieve a balance between their personal and working lives.

Kim Simpson and Ann Dobinson , Senior Managers in APRA’s Insurance division, have been in a job-sharing arrangement for the past six months. They share how it’s enabled them to be more present with their families, while continuing to build a successful and fulfilling career.

“Both Kim and I were looking to reduce our hours to cater for the growing demands of our respective families. APRA provides access to a range of flexible working options and encourages its people to determine their own flexible work style. Job sharing was a concept that appealed to us both,” said Ann.

Kim explained that job sharing is essentially taking one full time job and sharing it between two people who want to work part time. “In our case, Ann and I share the Private Health Insurer (PHI) Industry strategy role, Ann works Monday to Wednesday while I work Wednesday to Friday.”

Kim said that her leadership team has been incredibly supportive of the arrangement and has been instrumental in helping her navigate the journey. “There was a lot of pre-planning and conversations we had before starting the job share. We wanted to make sure that the arrangement would work for all involved and it would be seamless for our stakeholders. It’s certainly been a positive change for me, and I love having more time with my family.

“Both Ann and I feel valued and engaged which leads to happy ‘mums’ outside of work. But it’s important to stress here that a job share isn’t just for working mums – it can be for anyone. It can be a great arrangement for people with carers’ duties, studying, volunteering and any other commitments outside of work,” said Kim.

“It’s been a great experience so far and I’ve felt very supported, especially jumping into a new role and division. I’m grateful to APRA for providing us with this opportunity which has allowed us to continue to contribute to APRA in a meaningful and rewarding way,” said Ann.

APRA is committed to creating work arrangements that provide employees with flexibility to meet both their personal preferences and business obligations, including variable hours, compressed work weeks and remote working. More information about working at APRA can be found here.