TICKFORD Racing has announced a major change for its crew, moving to a nine-day working fortnight.
The initiative comes at a time when the broader industry has struggled to retain staff, following the travel demands which came with the championship’s efforts to proceed through COVID and now given the immense workloads associated with Gen3.
Tickford has taken action accordingly.
“We’ve recognised the need for greater flexibility and work/life balance for our team,” said co-owner Rod Nash.
“The demands that have been placed across the board as a result of the introduction of Gen3 has really thrown light on the need for us to try new things.
“The demands on our staff, their families and the impact on their personal lives when they choose to work in this sport cannot be underestimated and we recognise we need to give something back.
“One thing that has always set Tickford apart is its culture and we’re committed to ensuring that family feeling can continue to thrive.
“To create an environment for our team where they’re getting enough time away from work so they can come back and contribute 100 percent is our focus.
“We’re not saying this is anything ground-breaking – it’s a policy that’s used successfully in other workplaces.
“The work is still there and we still need to roll out cars and perform, so managing that work is going to take a team effort but we’re confident we can achieve the balance.”
Tickford CEO Tim Edwards said the concept will be trialled this season with a view to permanent implementation.
“The nine-day fortnight isn’t a new concept and is used with great success in other industries,” he said.
“Our challenge is managing a workload that can be difficult to pre-plan.
“Business as usual race prep is one thing but when you have cars to repair, it’s how we manage that going forward that as a collective we need to consider.”
