May Lee Starreveld

All working parents know the juggle and the guilt. When you spread yourself too thin, nobody wins - not your employer, not your family and certainly not you. I was on a fast-track to burnout.

As a senior leader my role requires strategic, qualitative work as well as leadership and empathy, which you can't do well if you are fighting to stay above water.

I am extremely lucky to work for someone who believed in my value and was willing to still take me at 80% capacity, and rescoped my role to fit. Working 4 days a week has changed my life: it gives me time to breathe and rebalance. I feel like me again; I'm able to be my best self and bring my A game to work, and be a better mum to my kids. As an added bonus, it also creates more development opportunities for my direct reports which fast tracks our succession planning.

Boundaries are key: my working days are clearly stated on my email signature, my off day is perpetually blocked on my calendar and I don't dial in to meetings on that day - no exceptions. Support from my peers and leaders makes this possible and I am grateful to be part of a team and organisation that values the whole self.

Somehow, working part time at a senior level still feels like a dirty secret so I hope more organisations are inspired to think outside the 40-hour box and measure quality of contribution.