JCB was recently appointed to an exciting new project for Parks Victoria (more news to come soon). An important part of this project – in addition to its design and delivery – is a series of social procurement initiatives that will guide the implementation of new policies, changes to the way we work and our studio culture.

Last week, we held a “round table” discussion to promote the uptake of flexible work by men with caring responsibilities. The premise underpinning this is that men and women should have equal opportunity to be carers. Our panel of four team members participated in a discussion about their experience of successful flexible working arrangements – challenges, approaches, tips, and lessons learned. Our male panellists spoke about how their caring responsibilities enabled them to support their partners and participate more fully in their lives of their children. Flexible work isn’t just for parents of course, but the discussion centred on juggling caring and career needs and how discussing these experiences creates a space for feedback, support, understanding and better work-life balance.