How the Orbit team uses flexible working
As you might have guessed, we’re big fans of flexible working at Orbit. We started the company whilst being remote, and everyone at Orbit has access to our app to book workspaces whenever they need. If you work best from home, great. If you want to work from an office, great. Where you work is completely up to you.
Not only is where you work up to you but when you work is as well. Flexible working at Orbit also includes certain flexibility over hours. This may seem extreme to some, but we believe that with the right hires, they will perform their best work where and when they choose.
So that’s what flexible working at Orbit means — but what does it actually look like to our team and how does it make a difference to their lives?
To find out, we spoke to different members of the team to discover what flexible working has allowed them to do. Their answers covered more things than we had even dreamed of and showed that flexible working is as varied as the people using it.
Here’s what they said.
Name: Mara Lehmann
Role: UX Designer / Service Designer
Main types of flexible working they use: WFH, Working remotely, Orbit app, Flexible hours, Working from abroad.
Main ways they’ve used flexible working: To visit friends and family abroad, to combine work and travel, to work from home (and it’s a more beautiful space than most offices). Previously, it was part of her job because she was a consultant and worked internationally and often on the go or at airport lounges.
What they said about it: “I would never work for a company that doesn’t embrace hybrid and flexible and remote-friendly work! Flexibility in terms of working hours, as well as location, are such important factors to me.”
Name: Jørgen Flaa
Role: Commercial Officer
Main types of flexible working they use: Working remotely, Orbit app, Flexible hours.
Main ways they’ve used flexible working: Working with sales means you are often on the move. It's important to meet people face to face but at the same time, you need a place to work in between meetings. He often ends up working from cafés and receptions. Now he has Orbit, so he usually finds a place to work within walking distance.
What they said about it: “Where and when I work has improved my work-life balance in so many ways. Spending less time commuting, having digital meetings on the go, and not having to check in at the office every day has made my life much easier. Simple things like avoiding traffic in the morning, being able to enjoy a sunny afternoon with the family are great benefits.”
Name: Ingrid Somdal-Åmodt Vinje
Role: COO
Main types of flexible working they use: WFH, working remotely, Orbit app, flexible hours.
Main ways they’ve used flexible working: Ingrid uses flexible working as a means to work smart: she has different needs when she has focus work vs. creative sessions or brainstorming with colleagues.
What they said about it: “Flexible working is bridging my work life and personal life. When you are juggling small kids, a full-time job, and other professional commitments, you need to spend your time wisely. The possibility to adjust your week, or day, is the key to making that work to me.”
Name: Emily Northway
Role: Chief Marketing Officer
Main types of flexible working they use: WFH, Working remotely, Orbit app, Flexible hours.
Main ways they’ve used flexible working: To travel to different countries and visit family abroad.
What they said about it: “I have been traveling around the States over the past month, for both work and personal reasons. No matter where I travel to, I know that I have the support of Orbit. I can even go to visit my parents in Florida, or my siblings in Texas and Arizona and it won’t affect my work schedule, despite the time zone differences. Orbit has had a massive impact on my number one priority which is mental health. I used to get stressed out about not being able to go and visit my parents if there was ever an emergency. Now I have peace of mind, knowing that I can book a flight home and be with my family if I need to while also fulfilling my work responsibilities.”
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