Supporting you during different life phases
Own The Way You Work (OTWYW) is as a comprehensive programme to promote agile working. In alignment with the needs of clients and colleagues, our people appreciate being largely free to organise their day, whether it's choosing where to work or how to manage their time.
But there's more to agile working than having flexible hours and managing them. We've enriched our vision for the way we work at Swiss Re with cutting-edge technology and flexible workplace solutions. These shape an ambitious and creative company culture, where everyone performs at their best, individually and collectively.
OTWYW is an integral part of the Swiss Re culture. It's a mutual commitment between the company and the individual, between the team and each team member, between the line manager and the employee.
Meet some of our people as they explain what Own The Way You Work means for them.
Bindu Sannehalli Govindaiah, Senior Technical Accountant and new mum, Bangalore
"Self-motivation and discipline are important to making remote work successful."
With Own The Way You Work, I can give focus and attention to my job as well as my family. Having the option to work from home, in particular, has made my life easier. After my six-month maternity leave, it helped me get back to my previous responsibilities step by step whilst spending precious time with my daughter.
Self-motivation and discipline are important to building the buy-in and trust you need to make remote work successful. I don’t say yes to everything, and I’m choosy about timelines. That’s because if I say I’ll do something, I really do it. My manager and my team care about my results, not how many hours I spend in the office, though I do make a point of never missing face-to-face meetings.
My advice to job seekers? If you’re looking for work-life balance and a good career, Swiss Re is a great place to work
Jana Liskova, HR Advisor and Ph.D. Student, Bratislava
"As long as I give the business top priority, I am free to work whenever and wherever it suits me."
For me, Own The Way You Work means freedom – the freedom to pursue my Ph.D. in psychology (focused on leadership) while doing an interesting job where I can apply what I’m learning. My studies require me to teach, take classes and do research, which is a lot when you’re also working full time.
During the semester, I leave the office around 12pm few times a week and head for school. If I have a work meeting in the afternoon, I can join remotely and still be available for my students later on. After that, I return to the office or attend a sports class and work from home. The arrangement works well thanks to very open communication with my manager and the rest of my team.
When I talk to people who are new to the company, I explain OTWYW this way: as long as you give the business top priority, you’re free to work whenever and wherever it suits you.
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Jose Carlos Moya, Business Services Team Lead, Strategy & Operations Americas, Mexico City
"I enjoy the flexibility I get, especially during the pandemic."
OTWYW is about finding the best balance between your professional tasks and development and your personal life – and it's my job to support my team with that. For example, one of my team members assumed she’d have to choose between working at Swiss Re and realising her dream to study psychology. Now she’s doing both.
I’ve enjoyed the flexibility throughout my career here as well, especially during the pandemic. It allows me to schedule important time with my family and stay on top of work too.
Thanks to OTWYW, I can put in more hours during peak periods knowing I’ll have more time in between for my life outside work and to recharge my batteries.
Matthew Wang, Client Manager, Life & Health China, Beijing
"At Swiss Re, we all live flexibility every day."
With Own The Way You Work, I can choose when and how to do my job. If I want to fit in a workout at the gym or avoid rush hour traffic, I can go to the office late or leave early. My manager trusts me to decide how best to meet my responsibilities. Unlike at a more traditional company, it’s our results – not face time – that count here.
It feels good to know that if something unexpected comes up in my private life, I can deal with it without compromising my work. One time I accidentally locked my parents, who were visiting from out of town, out of my apartment before going to the office. Instead of making them wait till the evening, I was able to head straight home to let them in and, thanks to the company’s strong IT solutions, to take part in a work call on the way.
At Swiss Re, flexibility isn’t just something that’s written in the employee handbook We live it every day.
Alessia Limata, HR Trainee & professional soccer player, Zurich
"I can do an apprenticeship at Swiss Re and pursue a career as professional soccer player."
Thanks to Own the Way You Work I can combine my career as professional soccer player with a commercial apprenticeship at Swiss Re. I am the goalkeeper of Switzerland’s Under-19 women’s soccer team and need to take part in the training every day. Swiss Re's flexible working practices make it easy for me to do a great job on the pitch and at work.
My manager is supportive of flexible working, I can work from home and on the go. The collaboration within my team works very well. We have a weekly team meeting to discuss what we are currently working on and where we’ll be in the days ahead.
At Swiss Re, you can be yourself and work in your own way. No matter where and when you work, you have the opportunity to make a positive impact.