ENGINEERING
Transformation – head of HR Andy Scott, pictured with VP of sales and marketing Katy O’ Farrell, says removing core hours on Fridays has been a game-changer for many of Darchem’ s team.
PICTURE: TOM BANKS
For some, that meant working slightly longer from Monday to Thursday to have Fridays off. Others chose to stick to a more regular routine. The point is that it gave people the freedom to work in a way that suits their role, their team and their personal life.
On the shop floor, Darchem knew one approach wouldn’ t work for everyone. The goal was to give people choice, not to push them into a new structure.
A shift in culture This change hasn’ t just improved the numbers, it’ s also started reshaping thinking and working across Darchem.
Like many companies that have been around for decades, Darchem followed a traditional model. People came in at fixed times, did their hours and went home. It worked for a while, but in recent years it started to see that the way people wanted to work was changing.
The biggest shift has been in creating a culture of trust. Managers are no longer focused on whether someone is sitting at their desk from nine to five. Now they pay more attention to the quality of the work, how teams are working together and how people feel about their jobs. That change has made a real difference.
Managers and teams are having more open conversations about what works best. There’ s a better understanding now that flexibility looks different for everyone, and that’ s perfectly fine. When people feel seen and supported, they are more likely to do their best work and stay engaged.
The culture is becoming more open, more people-focused and more about working together. It’ s not just about
ticking a box or putting a new policy in place. It’ s about creating a workplace where people feel valued, listened to and trusted. Culture doesn’ t change overnight. However, the firm is already seeing the difference it’ s making across the business.
Darchem is becoming the kind of workplace it wants to be. It’ s not just a change in how the business works- it’ s a change in how everyone works together.
Looking forward Darchem has been around for 70 years and is proud of that. Being established doesn’ t mean being stuck in the past. A flexible working experience has helped it be more open to change.
This isn’ t just about lowering absence or trialling flexitime. It’ s about building a workplace where people feel like they matter. Harbouring a positive culture is an iterative process and Darchem is always looking for ways to improve.
Flexibility is now part of how the business thinks, and Darchem is determined to keep learning and evolving as the world of work continues to change.
What key people make of the process Katy O’ Farrell, vice president of sales and marketing“ At Darchem we are proud of our heritage as a global manufacturing business. We are aware of the constraints within our industry – you can’ t weld a complex fabrication from your kitchen table – and we are working hard to create a culture that works for people in 2025.
“ In order to attract talent in a competitive environment we must offer a culture that makes us an employer
Being established doesn’ t mean being stuck in the past. A flexible working experience has helped it be more open to change.”
of choice, and more broadly make engineering a field in which young people are able to have a prosperous career.
“ Since joining Darchem, I have been passionate about creating a culture that promotes flexibility and inclusivity. Our customers’ needs and expectations are changing alongside our employees, and we owe it to them to reflect, adapt and make a positive change.”
Andy Scott, head of HR“ Adopting a flexible working approach can be daunting for any business. You’ ve got to balance what’ s good for your people with what’ s right for your customers and operations. That’ s why we started small, with a trial. We let the data guide us.
“ The results were clear. Absence dropped, turnover dropped, and we maintained our ability to meet customer demand. Removing core hours on Fridays has been a game-changer for a lot of our team. What’ s surprised me is how many other companies have reached out to ask how we did it.”
Union leader John Dunn“ We are finding that a four-day week is giving our members more time to spend with their loved ones and longer weekends to enjoy hobbies or short breaks. It also reduces childcare and travel costs, putting more money in their pockets and improving work-life balance. This is a modern way of working and it’ s working for both employees and the company.”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 107