Finding the balance
Here at JBA we recognise that each of our colleagues have their own unique work-life balance. With a huge diversity of interests and commitments outside of office hours. We also understand that taking a planned break from the career that you are committed to, can help achieve the balance you’re looking for. As a company we support colleagues in finding what is right for them as individuals, for their career and for our business. And we know that when colleagues return to us from a planned break, they bring with them a wealth of new experiences and valuable insights.
Three JBA-ers share their experiences of taking planned time away from their roles and how we helped them along the way.
Sian: Flood Risk Analyst
Sian graduated with a first-class degree in Geology from the University of Birmingham in 2020 - in the middle of the COVID 19 global pandemic. Lockdown restrictions meant that Sian had to put on hold her plans to travel after graduating. She subsequently joined JBA on a fixed term contract and successfully transitioned to our Graduate Development programme.
Now out of lockdown and as part of this transition, Sian arranged with her line manager and director a planned period away from her role at JBA to fulfill her travel aspirations in Central America. Which among other things included visiting active volcanoes in Guatemala! On her return Sian told us:
“Transitioning back to work was much easier than I had imagined. Calls with colleagues and briefings on the progress of the projects all played a part in my return to work. Being put back on to projects I was working on before my time away provided an element of continuity and made it much easier to start back up again.”
Seb: GIS Technician
Having always aspired to visit Asia, our colleague Seb requested a planned period of extended leave earlier this year to explore Thailand. In collaboration with his colleagues and line manager, Seb ensured that he passed on his knowledge of specific tasks before departing to ensure business continuity. On his recent return, Seb told us:
“My priority upon returning to work was to familiarise myself with the latest themes coming into the earthworks support system. As I am Network Rail’s first point of contact at JBA for earthworks phone support, it’s important that I’m fully aware of any issues and queries involved with GISmapp. I also had to make sure I was disciplined with my focus levels upon returning to work so that I could quickly get back to the same productivity levels as before.”
Armed Forces Covenant
JBA is one of more than 800 businesses and charities who have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, and as such committed to policies which encourage reserve service and support employment of veterans and service spouses/partners. One such colleague, a Senior Hydraulic Modeller at JBA and Army reservist, has chosen to tell us about their experience of taking time away from their role – often at short notice.
“When I was mobilised for overseas operational duties with the Army, I felt confident that my job with JBA would be secure when I returned. This provided a lot of peace of mind and allowed me to really focus on my military job during the period I was mobilised. JBA kept in contact with me when I was away overseas, and I felt connected throughout that period."
