Yarra Valley Water has been recognised for its Hybrid Work Strategy.

Yarra Valley Water has been named an Excellence Awardee in the Best Remote Work Strategy category in the Australian HR Awards 2023. 

The Best Remote Work Strategy category acknowledges excellence in virtual and remote work programs and practices. Entries are scored on initiatives across a range of areas including levels of innovation, employee engagement, productivity and results.

Yarra Valley Water People, Performance and Culture General Manager Amy Singe said hybrid working offers benefits for both businesses and staff.

“This way of working benefits everybody. It’s not just for parents who need flexibility to do the school run. It’s also for those training for a marathon, caring for their elderly parents, or perhaps taking an extra-curricular class,” Ms Singe said.

While some roles require permanent attendance at worksites, Yarra Valley Water no longer mandates set days in the office for the majority of its employees.

“This culture of trust enables us to achieve great results such as over 80 per cent employee engagement and we’re bucking the trend of global declines in employee engagement,” she said. 

“Our customer satisfaction scores have also remained consistently high, with a rating of 87 per cent.”

Ms Singe added that Yarra Valley Water’s hybrid working model helps to attract and retain the best people.

“Our approach is based on trust, which allows our people to manage where they do their best work,” she said. 

“We have a hybrid playbook that outlines our hybrid working guidelines, and we’ve found that this gives our staff a little bit more certainty about how we operate.”

Yarra Valley Water’s hybrid playbook includes information about flexible working options such as condensed working hours, where people work and flexible leave arrangements.

“It’s important for leaders to recognise that each employee is different, and we need to work through how it works for them as an individual. It’s not a one size fits all approach,” she said.

“We also value the importance of connection and collaboration, and so we regularly have ‘moments that matter’. This is when all staff come together onsite in person. Feedback from our staff about these events is overwhelmingly positive,” Ms Singe said.

For more information, please read Yarra Valley Water’s Hybrid Playbook (PDF).