Kasey Patterson

Financial Advice firm, Invest Blue, has adopted a nine day fortnight pilot, which would give all full time employees an extra 26 days off a year at a cost of roughly $1.9 million per annum, in a bid to foster employee wellbeing and drive productivity gains.

This follows the group’s recent inclusion in the list of Australia’s Best Workplaces for Women, an initiative of global people and culture organisation, Great Place to Work.

Kasey Patterson, Invest Blue Head of People and Culture, said the group strongly backed the philosophy “if we look after our people, they will look after our clients”.

“Our vision is to be Australia’s trusted home of great advice. Our mission is to have a recognisable presence across the country, which depends on our ability to attract, develop and retain advice professionals who are able to consistently deliver excellent advice and service to our clients,” she said.

“A critical element of our recruitment strategy is to ensure we remain a great place to work and initiatives like the nine day fortnight demonstrate our commitment to employee health and wellbeing.”

With 194 employees spread around the country and a large team offshore, Invest Blue’s size and scale puts it in a strong position to offer unique benefits while ensuring minimal impact on day-today operations and no disruption to clients, according to Lexi Glover, Invest Blue Chief Operating Officer.

“We have the right technology and infrastructure to support our people but most importantly we have the right culture,” Glover said.

“Geographically, our people are spread out in many different locations so trust and transparency are critical. It is not uncommon to have teams that work together operating from different offices or from home. We have established operational rhythms, data analytics tools and clear communications including daily team huddles, which can be done physically or virtually.”

Glover added that “business growth should never come at the cost of employee wellbeing”.

“Everyone is busy here and there’s plenty of work to do so, intuitively, it doesn’t make sense to compress the week and give people every second Friday off but research shows that this approach can lift productivity while increasing employee satisfaction,” she said.

With a rich history dating back to 1954, Invest Blue is a holistic financial advisory firm with 25 offices including rural, coastal and city locations. The firm provides financial advice, wealth management, lending and life insurance services and advice.

Since 2017, Invest Blue has achieved certification from Great Places to Work.

The group’s inclusion in the inaugural 2022 Best Workplaces for Women List, signifies an organisation that is fostering equity in the workplace and ensuring women employees feel safe, heard, challenged and valued.

To be eligible for consideration, Australian companies must have at least 100 employees of which at least half are women. They must also already be Great Place to Work certified.

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