When she became a mother, Simone realised that flexible working was not the norm in Asia. With a bit of give and take, she found an arrangement that works for her and the Bank.
My experience with flexible working began about two and a half years ago, when I first became pregnant. Before I went on maternity leave, I had arranged with my manager that I would return to work on a part-time basis. My husband Tom and I agreed that this arrangement would work best for our family, giving me valuable time with the children.
After around seven months of maternity leave, I worked three days a week. This arrangement was in place for about half a year and it gave me the opportunity to get back to working mode, while having the flexibility to spend more time with my daughter, Olivia.