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What does Flex mean to you?

In a flexible world, everyone works differently and for different reasons, and so for this year’s National Work Life Week, we’re asking people to share – what does flexible working mean to you? 

Tell us what flex means to you!

Best Practice Awards Judges 2024

The Judges for the Working Families Best Practice Awards 2024 are:

Emma Banister – Professor of Consumption and Society and member of the Work and Equalities Institute at University of Manchester.

Emma is a qualitative researcher with interests in issues connected with the interface of work and home. Current projects explore the transition to parenthood, fathers’ and mothers’ lived experiences of Shared Parental Leave (SPL), the impact of fathers’ solo care on family work-care dynamics and the particular challenges faced by SMEs in offering support and family-friendly initiatives.  

Her work has been published in a range of business and sociology outlets, and her video casebook exploring the lived experiences of parents’ use of SPL can be found on the Working Families website. 

Helen Humphreys - the new Chair of Working FamiliesHelen Humphreys – Chair of Trustees, Working Families

Helen is an experienced strategic change communication director with extensive leadership experience in culture and behaviour change. She has advised and supported many large, global organisations with their employee communication and engagement as they go through significant change. 

Helen has been a strong advocate for ensuring the employee voice is heard – and listened to – especially at times of uncertainty and change. To help with this, Helen provides mentor support and advice to senior business and communication leaders and teams to help them engage their employees during periods of transformation and change. 

Outside of her work environment, Helen has been active in the voluntary and charitable sector for many years. Helen spent seven years as a community governor in a local primary school, after which she joined the board of Drinkaware, and served six years as a trustee. 

Helen’s experience improving employee communication and engagement, has given her a good understanding of the issues faced in the workplace as employees try to balance their home and work commitments. She has been the value of the services provided by Working Families – to businesses and to individuals. 

Harvey Tilley – Chief Operating Officer, ILF Scotland

Harvey began his career in the British Army as an officer in the Royal Irish Regiment serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo and Sierra Leone.  Since leaving at the end of 2000, he has spent the best part of the last 20 plus years working in the public and voluntary sectors. Specifically, this has been in the areas of homelessness, disability, care, grant giving and employability. Prior to taking up post as ILF Scotland’s Chief Operating Officer, the majority of roles he has held during this time have been leading large scale charitable operations across the UK.  

As Chief Operating Officer for ILF Scotland, Harvey not only deputises for the CEO, but is responsible for all operational delivery, IT, health and safety, information governance, facilities, human resources and organisational development.   

Throughout the whole period (especially through the COVID pandemic) since joining ILF Scotland, he has seen the overwhelmingly positive impact of life friendly working to the individual, organisation and wider society, when this practice is adopted.  In his spare time when he is not occupied with his family, Harvey is a keen cyclist and Trustee of the Queen Mary Roehampton Trust. 

Una O’Reilly – Group Chief People, Culture & Sustainability Officer, Caprice Holdings

Una O’Reilly is Group Chief People, Culture & Sustainability Officer with Caprice Holdings, which includes the restaurants The Ivy Collection, Bill’s, and The Birley Clubs. She was previously with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield from 2013-2022, as their Group Director of Engagement and Director of HR UK/Italy. Prior to joining URW, she has held a variety of human resources roles in both retail and property development, and has had responsibility for UK, Europe and Asia. Una holds a BSC Hons Technology Management, Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources and Organisational Development and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personal Development.

Jane van Zyl – Chief Executive, Working Families

Jane joined Working Families as CEO in September 2018. She has 18 years’ experience working in the third sector and has held senior leadership positions at a number of UK charities, including Samaritans and Sands. She believes in the value of a fulfilling, balanced working life and its transformative power to create social connections, build self-esteem, and impact the wider community. She is a passionate advocate of equal opportunity for all. 

She spent her childhood in the UK (Norfolk) and South Africa (Cape Town & Johannesburg). Jane holds a social science bachelor’s degree from the University of Cape Town in Industrial Sociology and Industrial Psychology.

Elliott Rae – Guest judge for Best for Fathers Award

Elliott Rae is the founder of the parenting platform MusicFootballFatherhood, called the ‘Mumsnet for Dads’ by the BBC.   

Elliott’s book DAD is an Amazon Top 10 bestseller. DAD is a deeply moving collection of 20 stories that represent the diversity of modern fatherhood and challenges the traditional ideas of masculinity.  

Elliott has been recognised by the United Nations for his work on gender equality and was awarded the #HeForShe award by UN Women UK.  

Elliott presented the BBC One documentary ‘Becoming Dad’ in January 2022 which is the first show of its kind to bring issues around dad’s mental health and masculinity to the mainstream. Becoming Dad was one of the most watched documentaries across the BBC network in 2022. 

Elliott is a media commentator on issues around fatherhood and mental health, having written for The Independent and The Telegraph and featured live on Loose Women, BBC News, Channel 4 and Radio 5 Live. 

Elliott is also the co-founder of the Working Dads Employer Awards which launched in Parliament in May and celebrates employers who are supporting working dads. 

Elliott is one of the UK’s most prominent speakers and writers on topics around fatherhood, masculinity, mental health, equal parenting and gender equality. He regularly host webinars and workshops with organisations about how they can support working dads, redefine masculinity, support men’s mental health and create a family friendly workplace.  Read more on Elliott’s website here.