How moving start times was a game changer for construction giant

Australian construction giant John Holland has embraced a family-friendly flexibility program to diversify its workforce, saying a break from rigid hours is creating new opportunities and happier workers.

When staffing the M7-M12 project, a $1.7 billion motorway connection project in Western Sydney, John Holland developed the Late Start Program, initially aimed at women wanting to join the construction sector.

The innovative program, which offers staff with families a later start time of 8.45am and a finish time of 5pm, was recognised at the recent Australian HR Awards 2025 - winning Best Workplace Flexibility Program.

Construction hours are long, generally run from seven in the morning to five at night, and can include working on Saturday. 

“The construction industry is very traditional and just does things the same old way,” Steve Kiddle (pictured below), Project Director at John Holland Group, told HRD.

“The whole construction industry has, for a long, long time, been locked into that,” Kiddle said. 

“The problem is that it doesn't cater for a lot of family people, predominantly women. Some men and women just can't start at seven, because families and kids are their responsibilities.”

Hundreds of initial applicants 

An initial recruitment round of the Late Start Program, offered to female applicants proved popular, attracting more than 300 applications.

“We ultimately took 13 people in for that program, but we ran a second cohort, which was actually open to men and women, because the challenges that face men and women in the family environment can often be similar,” Kiddle said.

While staff in the program work a shorter day, Kiddle said this has been allocated for within their responsibilities, allowing staff to attend to their family’s needs.

Embracing change in construction 

Programs like Late Start create an opportunity for the construction industry to expand their workforces, giving people the chance to begin what he says can be a rewarding career.

“The more companies and the more projects that challenge the norm and give things a go, it just sets new levels of achievement for the industry,” Kiddle says.

“I think the construction industry is a tremendously satisfying industry, where men and women get to be part of building infrastructure and then are literally able to drive on it or walk on it at a later date. 

“Everyone likes to feel part of something, and everyone likes to see a legacy in their work.”

Greater flexibility delivers results

The program has lifted John Holland's gender mix to above industry standards on the M7-M12 team, with 30% women. The results lead the industry, which nationally recorded a gender mix of 21% women and 79% men in 2023-24, according to data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

“In our workforce, we’ve had a tremendous number of women out in our direct workforce, in operations, in survey, in plant operation, in driving trucks and traffic control,” Kiddle said.

“We've really encouraged just a more balanced engagement of men and women.

“But diversity doesn't stop at gender diversity, right through culture, sexuality, gender, religion, different backgrounds. We've really challenged our workforce and our staff to make sure that we do have a good representation across the industry and for all people who want to work in construction.”

_{Participants in the Late Start program: Picture: Supplied}

‘Sceptical at first'

While the Late Start Program was encouraged by the company’s corporate executives, Kiddle acknowledges some middle management needed to see the results before being convinced flexibility could work in construction.

“I've had tremendous support from the executives and the corporate that we gave it a go and made it work,” Kiddle said.

“At a project team level, I had a number of superintendents and project managers who were very involved with it, who were maybe a little bit sceptical at first,” Kiddle said. “But having run the program, they think it’s terrific.”

Implementing the program was easier than expected and has engaged high-quality staff who he says may have otherwise never joined the construction industry.

The men and women brought on during the first and second rounds of the Late Start Program have proven to be dedicated employees, he adds.

“You couldn't get a more passionate bunch of employees,” Kiddle said.

“They are so grateful and feel very lucky and very rewarded for being given a chance in the construction industry.”

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