Benevolent Society Staff Go Mobile

Australia’s oldest charity is taking a leap into the future by committing to a “new way to work”.

The Benevolent Society is providing most of its staffers a mobile phone and tablet to allow for better outcomes for clients and a better work-life balance and greater flexibility for staff.

Staff at The Benevolent Society will be able to access a hot desk at their nearest office or hub when they need to meet as a team or wish to connect face-to-face with their fellow staffers.

The Benevolent Society CEO Jo Toohey said although the transition will be “Herculean” the organisation believes it will pay off for all staff involved.

“We have taken the opportunity to become a more flexible working organisation and to go as mobile as possible. The aim is to deliver better outcomes for our clients and greater job satisfaction for our staff.

“Along with the mobility aspect of our new way of working, we’re offering options to staff members to be more flexible – staff can alter their hours, change where they work to suit the demands of the job and the clients, and work where it suits them best to meet their daily requirements.”

The Benevolent Society consolidated a number of property sites across the state and is creating four major hubs in Sydney that will bring teams together to ensure collaboration.

At the four Sydney hubs – Hurstville, Chatswood, Liverpool and Kingswood – staffers have their own storage sites, meeting rooms, hot desks and can stay connected to other team members or other sites via Workplace by Facebook, via video conferencing using Skype for Business, regular phone contact or face-to-face meetings.

“It’s really important that staff members interact, that they don’t just sit at their desks, and that they’re able to go to other offices to collaborate with colleagues,” Toohey said.

“We want to reduce travel to and from The Benevolent Society offices by staff members in order to access files or write reports – we want staff members to do it on the go as it’s more convenient.

“We want to improve staff quality of life by supporting an effective work-life balance; and we want to improve our overall competitiveness in the Care Services sector.”

Toohey said going mobile will also improve client experience.

“Most of our staffers, especially those at the coalface, will travel to see clients, work at hot desks in their new or refurbished offices and provide service in a way that best suits both
our clients and our staff members.”

Offices in Queensland, as well as The Benevolent Society Head Office, will complete the transition to mobile working next year.

The announcement comes as former Disability Community Support Teams from the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) officially amalgamate with the Benevolent Society on Monday, following the government announcement of the merger in March.