How does your firm support a work-life balance?
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Ayers Saint Gross
Our leadership made a conscious effort to formalize discussions around work life balance in 2014. A moderator was brought in to help guide these discussions firm wide. It was an eye-opening process and gave me a perspective on all the challenges parents and road warriors face, as well as the burden the younger generation feels to stay late and complete work because they may not have outside family obligations.
The company has long been supportive of working parents and flexible schedules as needed. We have well-being programs and being located in the Under Armour Headquarters, we can take advantage of lunch time workout sessions, if we choose. As an aside, the Baltimore office is directly on the water, so the views aren’t too shabby either.
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DLR Group
DLR Group understands the complexity of balancing professional and personal responsibilities and supports this through issuance of laptops and well-integrated technology work mobility if required. We also encourage self-care for minds and bodies through participation in varied outside interests including: company-sponsored, family-centered events; company-sponsored travel and volunteer activities; mothering rooms; brown-bag lunch sessions focused on learning and inspirational content; a Health Wellness Program; and a Professional Development Grant program.
Knu Design
Work-life is not a spectrum - they are not two separate things to be compared on a scale. Each individually is like a square dance or a solar system with many centers twirling in a collective balance. We look at two concepts to help us spin at the right cadence:
- Flexibility - Employees set their own schedule within the constraint of pulling their weight and being readily available to interact with coworkers, contractors, consultant, and clients. Working at home is encouraged.
- Reinvestment - We are developing policies that will require engagement in the community, the arts, or the broader profession as a predicate for promotion to certain levels in the firm, and to offer sabbaticals for long-term employees.
Moody Nolan
With ever increasing project and client demands, we endeavor to make sure our staff knows their life outside the office is valued. Flexibility with personal scheduling allows staff to manage the various demands that we all face. Additionally, ways that demonstrate a belief in a work-life balance are encouraging vacation (not allowing an accrual and rollover of time), providing various wellness programs (including financial wellness and a company-wide walking challenge), and supporting numerous community engagement programs (from corporate initiatives via Moody Nolan Cares to staff-motivated initiatives like the annual American Heart Association Columbus Heart Walk).
Populous
We inherently trust our staff to manage the work they need to do in the context of their personal lives. We work hard, we travel a lot, and our firm leadership recognizes the sacrifices our people and their families make for the work we do. So, we are sensitive to that, encouraging employees to put family first, take their vacation time, and actively pursue the balance that they need in their lives. We take care of each other so when someone needs a break, team members step up to help lighten the load or cover for others when needed. Everyone’s needs are different and ever-changing. We also intentionally create activities that include employees and their families, which is always fun and helps us put our work in perspective.
(Return to the cover of the 2018 PM Digest: Firm Culture)