“I was sitting in the bleachers of my son’s baseball practice chatting with a dad about trying to attend all of our kids’ activities. He told me that his wife would like to attend, the way I do, but she works,” wrote Katie Evans, Senior Communications Specialist, on LinkedIn. She first thought this comment implied that she didn’t work, when in fact, she has a full-time job here at Woodard & Curran and is a published author of several middle-grade books. “At first I was really mad…but the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a huge compliment that is and what a testament that is to Woodard & Curran’s value of putting people first.”
The post inspired several replies from colleagues across the firm who shared their own experience with both Woodard & Curran’s flexibility regarding where employees work from, the hours they prefer to work, and the support received from colleagues and leaders who recognize that family comes first.
“Several years back, my family went through a very tough time with my wife,” wrote Dick Gould, Lead O&M Technician at Linden Ponds in Massachusetts. “We lost her after a long difficult battle with medical issues. All through our battle, those above me supported us unwaveringly. They made me know my first obligation was with my wife and family.”
At the time, Dick was the only operator at the privately-owned wastewater treatment facility in Hingham. Water and wastewater treatment plants operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Dick said, “I was there working most of the time, but when I couldn’t be at work, the people around me said don’t worry about it. They took care of it.”
At the start of COVID-19, Woodard & Curran transitioned all its office-based employees to work from home until it was safe to gather in offices again. The firm added safety protocols for operators who did not have the option of working remotely from home or in isolated office areas. As restrictions subsided state-by-state, the company worked to phase people back into the office, but rolled out a flexible work arrangement program that gave employees the opportunity to choose their work style. Some returned to the office full-time, some stayed remote full-time, and others opted for a hybrid of both home and office. Regardless of where our people get their work done, we embrace flexibility to ensure that they can tend to family matters, personal health and wellbeing, and anything else that may arise.
