Between COVID-19 and the arrival of baby William, Finance Business Partner Pat Murphy has been adapting his home and work life to find a way of working that suits his growing family.

The last 18-months has changed most of our working routines, but for Pat, the pandemic and becoming a first time father made him re-assess his approach completely.

“I became a father during covid and it really made me re-consider my approach to work in order to balance family commitments.

“My wife took 12 months off to look after our son and when she returned to work I organised with my managers to access 13 weeks of paid parental leave – it was the best time of my life,” Pat said.

“I have recently returned to work and my managers, who job share, have been very supportive throughout the whole process. We have mutual trust to ensure that we meet our requirements in an appropriate and sustainable manner.

“Initially when I was on parental leave, it was difficult to remove myself from work and find a new routine. However, after four weeks I started to find my groove and I befriended a few other parents to meet during the day,” he continued.

Now that Pat’s back at work, he plans to balance his time in the Brisbane office three days per week, and work from home the remaining two – a hybrid way of working that’s just right for Pat, his family and his team.

Pat thinks that we have a lot to learn and positives to glean from the pandemic, including how it can bring teams closer together, even when physically distanced.

“Covid has brought our team closer together as we have learnt a lot more about each other’s personal lives, and it has made me appreciate the face-to-face time together.

“Being part of team that is more connected and has a deep understanding of each other builds trust. This has built the foundations for our team to perform at their best regardless of where we’re located,” Pat said.

At BHP, parental leave is available to all permanent full-time and part-time employees, and we encourage all employees to discuss flexible work options with their leaders to find a way of working that meets their needs.