Water Corporation Return-to-Work Program: Employee Stories

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED - REGISTER HERE FOR FUTURE RETURN TO WORK OPPORTUNITIES

Water Corporation values the role parents and carers play in the community. They’re passionate about creating an environment that’s inclusive and reflects the diversity of the community they serve. A place where everyone belongs. Flexible working enables their employees to balance their home life with a rewarding, purpose-driven career.

Feel supported transitioning back to the office through Water Corporation’s Return to Work Program. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that’s creating a safer, sustainable water future for WA.

Here’s what some of Water Corporation employees have to say about their return to work experience and what it meant to them.

Elleke Bosworth

 In the beginning      

Elleke has had an interesting and varied career. She’s an ex-army officer and consultant who joined Water Corporation part-time. Starting as a Corporate Compliance Coordinator, in a matter of years she moved her way up the ranks to Section Manager.

 After kids      

She has had two career breaks in her life. Both times to care for her kids. And both times, she found the experience exciting and a bit scary. 

“You question whether you can still do it and whether you can also be a good parent. In the private sector, it was hard to find work-life balance after returning to work, especially after my second child”.

But since starting at Water Corporation, Elleke’s found the flexibility she needed. And enjoyed many opportunities to develop and grow, while slowly increasing her hours from 3 days to almost full-time over 10 years.

 Finding balance      

While any flexible work arrangement needs to fit with the role and business needs, Elleke says Water Corporation accommodates the different needs of its people really well.  

“There are many different flexible working options within our teams: work from home days, RDOs (Rostered Days Off), flexible working hours, part-time arrangements etc.”

 A culture to be proud of      

It’s not just the career variety and flexible hours Elleke enjoys. It is also Water Corporation’s culture, values and the difference her role makes to WA.

“I really enjoy working for an organisation that provides value to the community, and does this with integrity. I also really value working with great people every day, especially in a fast-paced capital projects delivery environment.

It’s a place people want to stay, because of its strong culture and values, the people, the diversity of work and opportunities.”

"We’re proud to offer a flexible, supportive work environment where our people are empowered to find a healthy balance between their career and their home life; this might include part-time work or job-sharing, flexible start and finish times, purchased leave, a 9-day fortnight, or shift swaps."

- Kate Beattie
Water Corporation, Manager - Talent Acquisition

Pascilia Rukunga

 In the beginning      

Pascilia joined Water Corporation in 2012 as a data architect and soon had the opportunity to move to another area within the Information technology group, contributing her skills and expertise to the data analytics team. Pascilia worked with multiple operational project teams which gave her insight into the impact of data and IT on core business functions.

She became a leader within the information technology group in 2018. This opportunity paved the way to achieve great professional advancement for Pascilia, while enabling her to work at a more strategic level across multiple projects.

Pascilia continued to achieve success in her career with Water Corporation and recently commenced in a new role as a Manager - Architecture Delivery.

 After kids      

Pascilia’s taken parental leave twice since working at Water Corporation. Both times, returning to work came with a flood of emotion. While she loved interacting with her peers again, she found it difficult to be away from her boys.

“It was very helpful that Water Corp allowed some flexibility and I could usually work early and leave early to be home with the kids.”

Despite this, Pascilia often felt like she was playing catch up and says her “mummy brain fog” didn’t help.

 “Fortunately, I was in a supportive environment, and this helped me navigate this period so I could get up to speed at a good pace.”

 Finding balance      

What put Pascilla’s mind at ease, was her team also took advantage of flexible working arrangements. Start and finish times varied, employees were based at home some days, and others found a 9-day fortnight suited their needs. This enabled everyone to feel supported and appreciated.

Luckily for Pascilia, she works with “a group of smart, supportive, and fun colleagues. On the days I’m in the office there are a lot of “good” jokes floating around, as well as interesting technical discussions to keep me on my toes. This makes for a great balance.”

 A passionate, community-minded team      

Pascilia’s team is also passionate about the work they do. Together, they contribute to making a memorable and meaningful impact to communities all over WA. But it’s the way they rally together to support various charities and communities that Pascilia loves most. 

“In ITG, the giving program has seen the group bond and work better together and I think it’s through shared compassion and values.”

 A chance to grow      

It’s because of the breadth of these opportunities and her supportive team Pascilia has grown as a person and professional. In her time at Water Corporation, she has developed her tech skills, delved into innovation, learnt from colleagues, championed mental health and found her strength in leadership.

“It’s a very rewarding feeling to know that you are in a business that’s delivering an essential service to the people in Western Australia. And as a bonus, you get to work with a great bunch of people!” 

Rebecca Matsen

Rebecca is a change management enthusiast. She’s particularly passionate about making change stay and has spent the majority of her career at Water Corporation in their Operations Group.

 In the beginning      

Being a single parent when she joined Water Corporation 12 years ago, flexibility was paramount..

“I started working part-time right from the outset and have been able to adopt a variety of flexible work arrangements over the years depending on the needs of my family.”

 After kids      

Rebecca has since welcomed two more children into her family. She took a year’s maternity leave for her second child and two years for her third. When she returned to work, she started by working 3 days a week and has now worked her way up to 4 days.

 Finding balance      

Job sharing has allowed Rebecca greater flexibility. This arrangement with Angela Davie means both women share the load of the role at work and still maintain their family responsibilities.

“We also are able to work flexibly to cover important school events and work from home when required.”

 A fulfilling career      

After 12 years, Rebecca still loves the fact she gets to work with such great people, delivering important work in the community – while constantly growing along the way.

“At Water Corporation it is all about the great people you get to work with and knowing you are helping the WA community. I’ve also been able to learn so much about the water industry, and experience a wide spectrum of projects allowing me to build my change management skills.”

Angela Davie

 In the beginning      

Angela has amassed a wealth of experience in her 12 years at Water Corporation. Starting out as a personal assistant, Angela’s hard work and skill saw her move to business analyst, business planning partner, continuous improvement specialist and now, change implementation manager. This is a role she shares with fellow working parent, Rebecca Matsen

 After her first child      

Angela had her first child in 2020 and was on maternity leave for 15 months. Like many working parents, the transition back to work was big.

She was worried about her daughter attending day care, how things might have changed at work, and how she’d balance both worlds.

Luckily for Angela, Water Corporation was incredibly empathetic.

“Most people understand that family is a priority. With day care comes a bunch of sickness that wipes through the family. So having access to both sick/carers leave and the ability to work from home has been really great.”

Returning to work in a staged process also helped Angela feel really supported by the organisation. Initially coming back for 2 days a week, Angela was able to ease into the change before picking up a 3rd day after a couple of months. It was at this point she was promoted into the manger role she now shares with Rebecca.

 The joys of returning      

Despite the challenges of juggling her family’s needs, Angela was surprised to find how great returning to work has been as a mum.

“I got my work persona back and felt like I could be more than just “mum” again. I was able to get a quiet coffee, connect and socialise with people at work, and be alone on bathroom breaks!”

 Finding balance      

Knowing her wider team adopts a flexible approach to work, has also aided the process of returning so seamlessly. Like her colleagues, Angela can adjust her start and finish times, work from home, or swap which days she’s in the office to complement her home needs. This flexibility enables her quality time with her daughter and means she can attend important training days and personal appointments.

 A culture of support and growth      

Every day, Angela gets to work with a great bunch of people, learn something new and help future-proof Western Australian’s access to drinking water.

“Water Corporation is a great place to work if you’re looking for work life balance. The people are lovely and are generally very supportive and understanding of the life you hold outside of work. I have also found the Corporation really supportive in terms of career progression. If you are a can-do person and prepared to work hard, there are so many opportunities to move and develop your career.”

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE RETURN TO WORK PROGRAM AT WATER CORPORATION

Applications are now open. Choose from a range of permanent and fixed-term roles in Asset Planning & Delivery, Operations Group and Information Technology. Find balance by working flexible hours, part-time, or work from home days.