Working remotely helps Maui Hudson meet whānau commitments

Maui Hudson considers himself lucky to have not only a fulfilling job, but also a flexible work arrangement that enables him to spend more time with whānau.

He works for the Institute of Environmental Science Research (ESR) in Māori development where he provides cultural and ethical advice to staff, and establishes research relationships with Māori and Pasifika communities.

He was originally based in Auckland with weekly travel to the Porirua and Christchurch offices. But two years into his job, Maui became concerned about his father’s health, and Maui’s focus changed.

“I wanted to be closer to home near my father who lives in Opotiki near Whakatane, which is four and a half hours from Auckland.”

Maui started looking for a job in nearby Rotorua, but realised that he could negotiate with ESR. “I let my boss know about my situation, and she said that if I wanted to operate from home in Rotorua, that was fine. It’s something that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I hadn’t had the existing relationships with people across the whole organisation.

 “I’m lucky that my employer is very supportive. But I’ve also been responsible with the freedom they have given me. That’s one of the keys to being able to maintain the trust of your employer when you are operating in a different way.

“At home, you’ve got the flexibility to change the way that you work. You can do things at different times - whether it’s early in the morning or late at night. And you can do personal things in the middle of that.”

Maui says one of the benefits of working at home has been spending more time with his family. “I’ve got two children in primary school, and it’s nice because they can walk home from school, and know someone is here to meet them.”

Maui has also found that he gets through his work more quickly. “At home, you can be quite focused around the tasks that you need to do when you don’t have the typical office distractions.”

Maui still travels to the ESR offices about two days a week to keep in contact with co-workers. “I like the travel every week because it helps me stay in touch with people. I’m lucky that my wife has a lot of flexibility with her job as well, so if I’m out of town, she can meet the kids when they get home. Overall, I think that it’s a nice balance.”

Maui Hudson is of Whakatōhea Nga Ruahine and Te Mahurehure descent.

Futureintech website - read more about Maui's job in Māori development and research
Read Maui's story in te reo