Sharing a work-life balance

Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

Jugging their young families and passion to progress their policing careers, senior sergeants Tamara Cornford and Sam Groves were unsure they could find roles that suited them.

But in job-sharing a full-time senior sergeant position as two part-time employees, the pair is a shining example of the success of Victoria Police’s flexible work arrangements.

Police Life sat down with them to find out how they make it work.

Clear communication is one of the reasons senior sergeants Sam Groves and Tamara Cornford work well together.

WHAT IS THE ROLE YOU BOTH PERFORM AND WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PARTS OF THE JOB?

Sam:

The Dedicated Training Workplace Program (DTWP), is a unit that sits within the Foundation Training Division at the Police Academy. As officers in charge of DTWP, we manage a unit of six staff and oversee the 102 DTWP-accredited stations around the state that train our students on their four field placements during their recruit training.

Tamara:

I love the small team environment and the support I have sharing the position with Sam in my first management role.

WHAT HAVE YOUR CAREERS LOOKED LIKE BEFORE THIS ROLE? WHAT STANDS OUT AS A HIGHLIGHT?

Tamara:

The biggest part of my career has been spent working as a detective senior constable at Crime Command investigating sexual crimes. I loved working in that area but after years in the office, I decided to seek promotion.

Sam:

I have a background in prosecutions and was promoted to Transit Safety Division as a sergeant in 2013 before coming to the academy as a law instructor in 2017. People development is my passion, so a highlight was gaining promotion earlier this year to senior sergeant in charge of a unit that is doing such important work involving our newest police.

The pair is proud to be continuing the rich history of women police officers at Victoria Police.

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE IN A JOB-SHARING ROLE AND WHY DID IT APPEAL TO YOU?

Tamara:

This position was advertised as full-time, but I knew how supportive People Development Command was of part-time employees and flexible working arrangements, so I didn’t hesitate to apply. Once successful, I made an application to convert the position to part-time, which was supported.

Sam:

I saw a part-time position advertised, knowing that the other hours were already filled by Tamara. Before applying, I went to meet Tamara and knew after the first conversation that she was someone who I could work with. It appealed to me because I have a young family at home and while I was ready for the rank and responsibility, I couldn’t do the full-time hours.

WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO MAKING JOB-SHARING WORK WELL?

Sam:

We don’t stop talking to each other. A 50/50 split of the position’s email account is important so that you never come back after days off to a million emails. And always backing each other.

Tamara:

Good, constant communication and clearly allocated roles and portfolios. Ensuring we are providing each other with clear updates and handovers.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF JOB-SHARING FOR YOU BOTH PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY?

Sam:

I can work at the level I am ready to operate at, but still strike a good balance between work and home. I know you can take a job and convert it to part-time, but there is far too much work in this role to be part-time without someone sharing the other half of the hours. So it simply wouldn’t happen if there weren’t two of us in this together.

Tamara:

While working part-time, I leave after my three days in the office and know that the business will continue in my absence. With the job-sharing situation, I feel confident the team is supported and decisions are made while I am away. I can return with confidence knowing the work has not built up and I never feel overwhelmed. Without the ability to work part-time at a senior sergeant rank, I would not have been in a position to apply for promotion and progress my career.

Senior sergeants Tamara Cornford and Sam Groves are a tight-knit job-sharing team.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF YOUR SHARED ROLE FOR VICTORIA POLICE?

Sam:

We bring twice the experience to one role. In our case, we blend crime and prosecuting backgrounds, and operational and corporate experience, so we can bring two different perspectives to our decision-making, which leads to better outcomes. If more police see this setup as a real option, we may attract and retain the right staff in the right roles, even as they juggle family, study, professional sport, or other outside interests.

Tamara:

Sam and I are able to support each other to cover absences, which means that we haven’t needed unplanned leave. By having this work-life balance, we find greater satisfaction in our employment and it makes it easy for us to come to work.

WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE TO CONSIDER JOB-SHARING?

Tamara:

Yes, absolutely. I believe it can be beneficial for both our employees and the organisation.

Sam:

It would be great to see this as more of a common occurrence among all our ranks.