Amelia Hooper

Stepping into this role right before I went on leave meant one of my biggest questions, going into parental leave, was "what returning to it would actually look like?". There's still an assumption that seniority requires more hours, and that becoming a parent means choosing between keeping that trajectory and having real time at home.

This is not the case at Tax Traders and Taxi, and my experience has shown me those two things don't have to be in conflict.

I returned after five months of parental leave, on significantly reduced hours, and kept the role. It's meant I can keep doing work I care about and keep progressing professionally, while having far more time with my son at a stage of his life I won't get back.

The flexibility and support haven't stopped at reduced hours either. I've been able to bring my son into work with me everyday, with the help of a workplace nanny, so I could stay close to him and still be properly present in my role.

Making it work takes deliberate choices too. I prioritise hard, I'm clear about when I am and am not available, and I focus much more on outcomes than hours at a desk. If anything, it's made me more conscious of where my time actually adds value.

What I wish more organisations understood is that part-time doesn't mean less senior, less ambitious or less committed. There's a lot of experienced talent that businesses stand to lose when senior roles are built around availability instead of outcomes.

I'm fortunate to work somewhere willing to look at what my role actually needed to achieve, and find a different way to make it work. I hope seeing more senior people working reduced hours makes it a little easier for the next person to ask for the same.