Programme

9:05am | Why Flexible Work Matters: Gender Equity & an Ageing Workforce
Jess Stuart, Author, Coach and Speaker

How demographic change and equity considerations make flexible work essential for the workforce of the future.

9:35am | Flexible Working Through Multiple Lenses: What We Gain and What We Must Tackle
Jo Mutter, Academic & Researcher with two decades of corporate experience, University of Auckland

Jo will explore the broader value of flexible working from organisational, individual, and societal perspectives. It highlights both the well-known benefits and the less-discussed challenges, drawing on research and real-world insights.

What You’ll Walk Away With:

• A clearer understanding of how flexible working can support productivity, wellbeing, and fairer career outcomes.
• Insight into the tensions and challenges that HR professionals and employees face in making flexibility work.
• Practical reflections to help bridge the gap between academic research and everyday HR practice.

11:05am | The forgotten 60% - flex at the frontline
Gillian Brookes, Workforce Strategy & Flexible Work Specialist & Author

In the last few years we have seen a hybrid work revolution transform the way the desk-based workforce operates, but that only accounts for around 40%. Now it's time we create more choices and access to high quality, flexible work at the frontline for a healthy workforce, healthy businesses and a healthy economy.

From Gillian's session you will:

• Get clear about why flex matters at the frontline
• Learn about what types of flex are possible at the frontline
• How to get started in your organisation

11:35am | A Business Owner’s View of Flexible Work: The 4-Day Week 
Brian Yee, Founder + Director, MSH Consulting Ltd

What does it really take to make a four-day week work in practice? Brian Yee, Founder and Director of MSH Consulting, shares his experience as a business owner who successfully introduced a four-day week after a carefully designed six-month trial.

In this session, Brian will provide a candid look at why the shift made sense for his team, the business benefits it delivered, and how he navigated the realities of employment law to make it sustainable. He’ll also share the groundwork required before making the leap — from preparing your business and engaging stakeholders, to streamlining processes, and weighing up the pros and cons.

Attendees will walk away with:

• Practical insights into how flexible working can be introduced in a small business setting,
• The lessons learned along the way,
• Strategies for balancing innovation with compliance.

1:00pm | The Positives and Negatives of Flexible Work: New Zealand Data
Professor Jarrod Haar (PhD), FRSNZ, CFHRNZ, Deans Chair and Professor of Management and Māori Business, Massey University

Professor Haar will be discussing his on-going research on flexible work and its influence. This involves 15 waves of data since 2020 and roughly 15,000 NZ employees. The talk will focus on the data around the positives and drawbacks of flexible work.

Takeaways:

• Evidence on the benefits of flexible work.
• Evidence on potential disadvantages.
• Key insights for managers and employees.

1:30pm | A Macroeconomic View of Flexible Work

Exploring the broader economic impacts of flexible work on productivity, labour markets, and the future of employment.