We’re lucky to have a bunch of outstanding women who contribute to SEIVA being awarded one of Australia’s best workplaces in the small business category by Great Place to Work®.
To celebrate this International Women’s Day, we chatted with Senior Accountant and Self-managed Super Funds Specialist Tegan Krantz who recently returned to SEIVA after welcoming baby Amelia into her life. We sat down to talk about working life and transitioning back after parental leave.
Welcome back, Tegan. How has the transition been returning to SEIVA after parental leave?
It’s been awesome and I love being back at work. It’s great to have a desk at the office again and be surrounded by friends.
I was chatting to some parents in my parent group, and a few have quit their roles at work because they left a “job” and didn’t feel any desire to get back to work. Blissfully I didn’t feel that way and I have been excited about returning to work. I am also excited that Amelia gets to develop in new ways while she is at day care so it’s great for her too!
What is it like to balance both work and family? Is it what you expected?
I’m more tired than I imagined possible. Certain work days can be challenging if we’ve had a rough night with Amelia (especially as I choose to start work at 6:30am). However, Amelia loves daycare so it’s great not to worry about her when I’m in the office. Now I’m just waiting on more days to become available so we can both continue to grow.
How has SEIVA supported you through parental leave and returning to work?
SEIVA gave me the space to be on parental leave and didn’t pressure me on a specific return to work date. I chose to come to several social events, planning days and training days while on maternity leave so I never felt they were leaving me behind or had forgotten me. I also received regular, genuine check-ins from the team that were not work-related. I even brought Amelia into the office a few times so she could meet everyone.
SEIVA also arranged a cleaning team to come to my house several times which was helpful and very appreciated with a newborn. They also gifted dinner voucher so we could go on a date to Flourchild in St Kilda.
Upon returning everyone has been so kind and friendly. I can work flexible hours that suit me, so I start at 6.30 am and finish at 2.30 pm, as well as being supplied with all the equipment needed to work from the office or home.
What are you looking forward to regarding your career?
I’m looking forward to increasing my knowledge and finding my adjusted career direction. I know SEIVA will support me through this with regular chats and check-ins and let me know what is available to me on reduced days (for now).
What learnings have you had as a new parent that can be brought into the workplace?
My husband Micky and I have been sleep deprived since having our daughter Amelia.
It sometimes means we are quicker to being upset or impatient with each other. So over the past year we have learned to be more patient and clearer in communications with each other.
These are skills which will help me in my client & managerial roles going forward at SEIVA.
Why did you choose to work at SEIVA? And what has your journey been?
I was drawn to SEIVA once I saw there was a woman in a senior accounting position, and I aspired to do that too, to grow with SEIVA in a senior role.
I started in 2019 as a Senior Accountant with compliance experience, then managed the super department several days a week and am being trained in additional advisory and support roles. For me, there has been the flexibility to specialise whilst also maintaining tax and compliance skills and developing client-facing skills with training and development.
And now it’s next level with the responsibility of a little human too! Dogs are easier.
We have a planning day coming up. Last year you attended while on parental leave. How did that feel?
I love all the planning days SEIVA has!
I genuinely enjoy being around all the people I work with. Everyone wants to have a laugh and are always supportive of each other. On another note, these planning days allow me to use my creative brain a tonne which I love.
Attending these days while on Parental leave allowed me a fun and collaborative way to meet new team members as they came on board. This meant that I wasn’t so overwhelmed by the expanding team when I did come back into the office in January.
