Commercial and residential design and planning practice Beyond Ink has further committed to the healthy work-life balance of its team, with a six-month trial of a flexible time banking program that prioritises staff wellbeing.
Beyond Ink staff can opt into either one day off a fortnight or one day off every four weeks, by extending their regular workdays to ‘bank’ the hours needed to cover a regular day off. Each team member has a schedule customised to their individual needs, and all have welcomed the opportunity for a regular three-day weekend; some anticipate improvements in their commute to work as earlier or later start times mean they will miss peak hour traffic.
General Manager Jordana Ashcroft O’Sullivan described the latest addition to the company’s people-first culture as a win-win:
“We recognise the challenges we all experience in balancing the demands of work with health, parenting, care and personal needs. When our staff have regular time to invest in their lives outside of the office, they can then bring their best selves to their work and in turn to our clients.
It’s well known that the importance of a healthy workplace can’t be underestimated. A 2022 study by Deloitte and Swinburne University found that 93% of workers say their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing is just as important as pay. We also hope to see benefits such as fewer absences, increased productivity, and an attractive offering for new talent”.
The new Time Banking program has been developed in collaboration between management and staff and reinforces the right for staff to disconnect outside of work hours. The trial builds on a recent series of externally facilitated workshops to refine the company’s shared values and ensure a positive and inclusive workplace culture as equals.
Beyond Ink has always prioritised work-life balance, rejecting an industry culture that expects long hours and overtime. A collaborative and social working style is fostered through regular local team lunches, afternoon walks, office dog days and some flexibility in working hours. A recent addition to the Hahndorf office of a fully furnished kitchen and outdoor all-weather area provides a space large enough to fit the whole team, and share lunchtime cook-ups and celebrations.
With rapid growth in the number of design, town planning, and operations staff joining the team in recent years, Ashcroft O’Sullivan is passionate about intentionally nurturing a workplace culture that can support not only the growth of the business, but the professional goals of Beyond Ink’s employees.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jordana Ashcroft O’Sullivan, General Manager
Mobile: 0400 789 303
Email: jordana@beyondink.com.au
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Company Profile
Beyond Ink is an accomplished multi-disciplinary residential and commercial practice delivering end-to-end solutions for projects spanning a diverse range of sectors, scales, and applications. Our skilled team of Architects, Designers, Town Planners, and construction professionals make Beyond Ink the largest regional firm
of its kind in South Australia. Boasting an impressive portfolio of work, Beyond Ink has earned a reputation for practical design and expert constructability.
15 Employees | 52a Mt Barker Road Hahndorf | ‘Creating places for life and business’
For more information, please go to www.beyondink.com.au
Jordana Ashcroft O’Sullivan
General Manager
BUrbRgnlPlan (Hons)
MPIA
As the General Manager of Design and Town Planning practice Beyond Ink, Jordana oversees a range of critical business functions ensuring that our people, culture and business continue to improve. Jordana is passionate about the power of a positive workplace culture, staff empowerment and more broadly, in creating spaces for businesses to grow, flourish and adapt to meet new challenges and markets.
With a background in Town Planning, Jordana has extensive experience in a wide range of complex developments in both residential and commercial environments. Continually striving for improvements in efficiency, a positive team culture, business growth and the effective delivery of projects, she now extends her knowledge and skillset to also manage the Town Planning division of Beyond Ink.
Jordana is the immediate past Chairperson of the Hahndorf Business and Tourism Association and former committee member of the Planning Institute of Australia SA Young Planning Committee.
Reference
Report by Deloitte and Swinburne Edge: ‘Reset, Restore, Reframe — Making Fair Work FlexWork’
