I’d take a croc over a four-hour commute any day
Tailah Warr moved to Darwin this year, but stayed with her Melbourne-based agency. It turned out that saltwater crocs were less scary than her four-hour daily commute. And while she didn't expect such a remote set up to be possible, she now thinks all employees should have the opportunity to make a move without handing in their resignation.
I put my agency’s open-mindedness to the test earlier this year.
Despite having a flexible arrangement to work part-time from home, after spending two years commuting from Pakenham to inner-Melbourne, two short holidays to traffic-free Darwin was all it took to think ‘maybe I should move here’. And those who live in the outer suburbs will understand when I say the risk of saltwater crocodiles and monsoons is less frightening than the four-hour daily commute.
After making the decision to chase a warmer, more relaxed lifestyle, I sadly handed in my resignation and was prepared to begin the job search once up north.
However, telling my first client proved more difficult (and enlightening) than expected. Rather than accepting I was moving on, they observed that our orange logo would look great in a tropical office and encouraged me to continue working for the agency remotely.
The seed was planted, and soon my MD approached me with the offer of staying on remotely from a Darwin satellite office. I had never asked for such an arrangement, or expected it would be possible, but the more we talked about it, the more it made sense.
Working from home and having clients outside of suburban Melbourne meant I was already well-versed at the long-distance relationship. I could simply fly down from Darwin at least once a quarter to see all of my clients and have face-to-face time with the team.
We already had a range of flexible working arrangements in place, which paved the way for mine. Once flexibility is no longer feared, but embraced to retain good employees and support different lifestyles, the idea of remote working no longer seems like such a big deal.
And it’s not just freelancers who should have the freedom to move. Agencies and clients should be open to their employees’ sea or tree changes, just like mine were. After all, relaxed and happy employees are productive and creative employees.
It’s not worth losing top talent over where they decide to live.
For me, my remote set up hasn’t made a difference to our workflow. I currently work from my home in Darwin, with the intention to move into a hot desking or shared space in the near future.
I miss the on-tap, creative brainpower of an office, but this means I’m just more organised scheduling phone brainstorms and catch ups – so I still feel connected to my Melbourne colleagues (if only they’d leave me off group emails about free desserts in the kitchen).
As for my lifestyle change, it’s been fantastic. Housing is affordable, the people are carefree, and the natural beauty is incredible.
Working remotely certainly isn’t for everyone. I’d recommend that anyone considering the same move trials working from home first. It requires a lot of discipline and comes with the inevitable challenges of loneliness and boredom – not being able to join the watercooler chat or office footy banter.
The only local custom my team asks I don’t adhere to is the laidback NT motto: Not today, not tomorrow, not Tuesday, not Thursday. Still, it’s best to ask me to do something on a Wednesday, just in case…
Tailah Warr is a Darwin-based senior account manager at Melbourne-based agency Communicado Marketing Communications
The “risk of saltwater crocodiles and monsoons”. Give me a break. Bigger risk walking across Bourke St.
While I accept that is (hopefully) tongue in cheek, this Croc Dundee stuff is ridiculous and an insult to Darwinites in particular and “remote” Australians in general.
We are not bloody savages out here in the sticks banging rocks together you know (I have been working remotely for 20 years so you know).
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Get over yourself mate, you’ve missed the whole point of the article.
Not everyone is out to insult you, try getting into the NT spirit and developing a more positive attitude ?
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Great to hear you’ve been able to work remotely for so long. I hope this encourages other companies to consider letting their employees do the same.
After all the Territory and rural towns in general need population growth and an economic boost. I hope these kinds of arrangements can form part of the solution and that more people get to experience the great lifestyle that is Territory living. Apologies for the offensive Croc Dundee humour 😉
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Take a chill pill Dave.
The article was indeed tongue in cheek and simply one person’s advocacy of flexible working practises – which I agree with!
But thank you for paving the way in this arena, you’re a pioneer and an inspiration to us millennials who dream of working from home in our tracksuits (occasionally) – In fact, I consider you on par with explorers and frontiersmen like Davy Crockett and Ferdinand Magellan.
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Hey Tailah, It brought me great joy to read your piece and connect with another one of the remote and regional tribe. I commend your agency for making this happen, especially for an Acct manager, which is one of the roles most people still feel they need on the ground in my experience. Glad to hear you are loving Darwin life!
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Nice piece! And very refreshing. I’m surprised how many agencies are still obsessed with having the team sit at their desks from 9 to 6 every day, with no option for flexibility. Visibility doesn’t equal productivity and I find it depressing when managers don’t trust their staff to work unless they are in the office all day, every day.
A happy team member who feels valued and respected will be far more of an asset than someone who isn’t trusted unless they can be seen!
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I understand the article perfectly, nor am I in the NT. And to do what I do and did needs to have a positive attitude.
My point is that it does not need to resort to ridiculous cliches about bloody crocodiles and the like.
That’s like saying I “moved to Tassie and braved the devils”, or (in my neck of the woods) moved to WA and braved the quokka selfie. Or Sydney and braved the hipster.
Yes Tailah made a great move and I applaud her for that. The Croc Dundee humour was not offensive, just not necessary IMO
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Hi Tailah,
It’s so great to read that you’re enjoying your time in Darwin. Good on your agency for embracing and assisting you with your move up here. It was so great to see Verity. Pop into Drybar Darwin to say hi if you’re in the ‘city’.
Carly Govers (McCahon)
Drybar Darwin
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