COVID’s silver lining for Defence families
Why post-COVID flexible work arrangements are a game-changer for the careers of military spouses.
Defence partners know the struggle of work-life balance. Trying to juggle a career while spending months as a solo parent, experiencing a lack of extended family and friend support, and facing frequent relocation is no easy feat. As a Defence spouse, you make a lot of sacrifices, and to support your partner, it’s likely your career has taken a back seat.
But as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, the employment landscape has dramatically changed. With flexible working becoming a mainstay in the workforce, building a career as a military spouse has never been more achievable. And with a free service like the RSL Veterans’ Employment Program on your side, now might just be the perfect time to make your move.
employment challenges faced by military spouses
According to the 2019 Australia Defence Force (ADF) Families Surveys, 28% of ADF spouses were registered as unemployed, while just over half of civilian partners not currently on MWD(U) (Member with Dependants Unaccompanied) report difficulties finding meaningful employment.
This research highlighted several reasons why Defence partners face significant challenges in their careers. These include:
Interrupted work history due to relocations
Increased family responsibility and commitments
Difficulty accessing appropriate childcare
Employer bias
Lack of interstate unity regarding vocational licensing and registration requirements
COVID’s impact on flexible work arrangements
Since COVID-19 hit in late 2019, employers have provided employees with more flexibility in work time, hours, and locations. The Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency report that this has proven to be beneficial for both employers and employees. Flexible workplaces allow greater wellbeing by reducing exhaustion, burnout and fatigue, and improving productivity, employee retention, and future-proofing.
The industries with the highest flex-work arrangements are: professional, scientific and technical services (74%), arts and recreation services (74%), information, media and telecommunications (71%), constructions (71%), and healthcare and social assistance (69%).
In a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research, one in three Australians are searching for work that allows remote working conditions, with the search for jobs relating to remote work increasing by 6.4 times the rate it was before COVID-19. With this in mind – and the need for businesses to remain dynamic with the threat of future pandemics – flexible work arrangements are here to stay.
For a great many Australian workers, this is COVID’19’s silver lining.
Flexible work changes the game for Defence partners
The biggest upside to flexible working arrangements is the ability to work from anywhere, and during hours that suit an individual’s family life.
The introduction and normalisation of flex work means military spouses – depending on the industry they work in – have the opportunity to take a job they love with them if they have to pack up and move. This continuity bodes well for the advancement of the military spouse’s career. When your family gets called to move, you don’t have to start your work life from scratch.
Game-changer? You bet. Flexible work helps provided stability in the ever-changing world of Defence families.
how flexible work supports Defence partner employment
1. You are provided flexibility to support your family
As a military spouse, you are probably left in charge of a lot of home duties – if not all. Solo parenting, caring for children, home repairs, and making a new house a home. These tasks fall on your shoulders when your partner is away on deployment. That can make it difficult to hold down a job, too. Roles that allow you to work from home mean you don’t have to sacrifice your career to run the house, providing you with more flexibility than ever before.
2. Inconsistency is no longer the constant
The only constant for those in the military is that nothing is truly constant. But with the ability to work from anywhere, being able to stay in your role with one company is easier. So even when your life is uprooted, at least one thing can remain the same. This is great news for the company, too. After all, as a military spouse you’re probably a great employee – see why here.
3. Building ongoing connections with a community
Moving from place to place doesn’t only mean you are forced to have long periods away from family and friends back home, but it can also be difficult to maintain connections and build a community. Continuity in the workplace means that while you are not always face-to-face, you can remain connected from afar.
4. Opportunity for career progression and development
Without large gaps in your CV from time away or short periods at multiple jobs, career progression for military spouses can be a challenge. The potential to stay with an employer even if the ADF requires your family to relocate means your workplace relationships are protected, enabling meaningful and linear career progression.
Looking for flexible work? The RSL Veterans’ Employment Program can help.
Are you ready to tap into the opportunities flexible work creates? Reach out to the RSL Veterans’ Employment Program. Our expert career coaches can help with all aspects of job-hunting, from writing applications, to training pathways, and connections to local employers looking to hire.
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