PHD NZ’s new leave policy allows team to travel and reconnect

With the easing of travel restrictions around the world, the team at PHD New Zealand have been able to reconnect with internationally-based loved ones thanks to the agency’s new Friends and Whānau Leave policy.

This policy offers staff a hybrid of annual leave and working leave and has been launched to enable PHDers to increase their time visiting friends and family overseas. 

“Video meetings during lockdown helped us get to know each other better and often at quite a personal level,” PHD Group CEO, Nikki Grafton says.

“With so many of our team having close friends and family living outside of New Zealand, we heard countless accounts of people feeling more physically distant from their loved ones than ever before. 

“OMG recently introduced a family leave programme across many of its markets and PHD NZ has brought this to light as Friends and Whānau Leave and as an extension to our Working Flexibly policy. By removing time zone barriers and establishing new ways of working PHDers can work for a period from another country at different hours to their New Zealand based colleagues and take a well-deserved holiday while there.” 

SEM expert Victor is traveling home to Argentina for the first time in two years to get married in August. He says he appreciates the opportunity of more time with family, and not having to rush his trip. He’ll start the trip working, which he doesn’t see as being too difficult having mastered working from home during the past couple of years.

“Although there is a big-time difference, there will be a small window of crossover with typical New Zealand hours, and I will be able to prioritise my work and communication with the team accordingly.” 

This unique policy is just one of steps PHD has undertaken to support staff during and after the Covid pandemic. 

“The past two years have been challenging on so many levels and connecting to loved ones is essential to wellbeing,” says Grafton. 

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