Bryce Binnie with his family.

We know it’s been a big year for our people with parenting and caring responsibilities.

From adjusting to new work routines, to navigating remote learning and spending more time at home with the kids – our working parents have experienced lots of new opportunities and challenges.

In the lead up to Father’s Day we caught up with Bryce Binnie – Scrum Master and father of two – who shared how COVID-19 has changed his perception of flexible working.

“I really believe that retaining a culture where flexible working is embedded in practice is the biggest support that there can be for a father,” said Bryce.

“The pandemic has shown us that we can be very productive while working from home, and with relatively flexible hours. Hopefully, this allows more fathers to prioritise the ‘little things’ to do with their kids more often.”

According to a Global Dad Survey conducted by Suit Tie Stroller, only 3% of dads want to return to the way things were before COVID-19, with two thirds saying they want to spend more time with their kids in the 'new normal'.

The survey also found 84% of dads 'would' or 'might' consider making significant life decisions to implement their ideal new norm.

For Daniel Vlahovic, Optimisation Engineer, this is certainly the case. Daniel started at AGL in January, when his daughter Ava was only six weeks old, and he said the lockdown period has been a “blessing in disguise”.

“Ava is nine months old now, and from a family perspective, I feel really lucky to have been able to be home for Ava’s ‘firsts’ – her first roll, first crawl, first steps – which I may have otherwise missed,” said Daniel.