Many years ago now I spent 6 months travelling through North and Central America whilst working remotely. At the time when I proposed the idea to the company I worked for it seemed like a foreign and potentially risky proposal with very few people evening working from home. Afterall, we were all provided with desktop computers which couldn’t be put in a backpack and taken home with us. Luckily for me they agreed, bought me a laptop, and sent me off on my adventure hoping that the good performance and work ethic I had displayed in the office would be continued abroad.
The next 6 months working remotely would forever change my working career as I realised that there was a level of flexibility and freedom that could come from working as a traffic engineer. The industry had changed from when I first started, having to draw the designs in pencil, and having to lodge applications in person. It was a whole new world and from then on I was also determined to show other people what alternative working opportunities were available.
Soon after I decided to start Amber Organisation. My main goal was to create a lifestyle company that allowed our team to work how they wanted. This could mean working from different locations, at different times, and the ability to work reduced hours if required. Along with the flexible working arrangement I also wanted to allow people to work on the projects they wanted and to establish their dream career rather than putting them into a specific position. I also established a lifestyle allowance for all staff to help fund their hobbies and to encourage them to pursue other activities outside of work.
Following the pandemic this approach now largely seems to be the norm and whilst it may seem like this revolutionary idea is now standard I still make it my mission to help our team achieve their lifestyle goals. The benefit of the pandemic is that virtual meetings are now normal and clients don’t expect everyone to be at their desk 9am-5pm making this working arrangement even easier.
Working flexible arrangements is not always easy and we understand that. We are often working at different times to balance other commitments such as families, hobbies, or holidays. However, we believe that if we work closely as a team and help each other then this way of life can be achieved by all of us.
We provide a diverse and inclusive work environment and offer many personal and professional development opportunities that are aimed to help our team deliver their best self to the role whilst managing their personal life in balance. I’m proud of what we have achieved so far, and will continue to work with our team to ensure we provide a supportive work environment for however staff want to lead their lives.
If this type of work environment sounds like something you would like to pursue, and you have a background in traffic engineering and/or transportation planning, we would love to hear from you.
