Empowering People With Disability

Flexihire is a proud Queensland company and we are passionate about supporting people and businesses in the local communities where we operate. Our Yeppoon branch welcomed a new employee last month with Robert Wake commencing work on 19 January. Rob (as he likes to be called) is an extraordinary young man with a range of challenging disabilities that have limited his capacity to find meaningful work.

Rob’s clinical diagnosis is very complex and includes a genetic disorder called mixaploidy/tetraploidy, severe autism, hypotonia, muscular scoliosis, sensory processing disorder and global developmental delay. Whilst Rob is non-verbal, he is a great listener and able to follow instructions.

The team at Yeppoon first met Rob through his passion for machinery which saw him visit the branch each week to spend time around the equipment. Recognising Rob’s curiosity and how much positive energy he brought with him on his visits, Branch Manager Shannon Burdon engaged with his mum Kris learning more about Rob’s background and challenges.

From here, the seeds of employment opportunity were sown and Shannon approached our Managing Director Chris Moyes with a proposal to offer Rob a job. In consultation with his mum and supporting health care professionals, Flexihire came up with a role where Rob works 8 hours a week and is a fully integrated member of the branch, complete with uniform, employment contract and a job description.

To say Rob is delighted with his new role is an understatement. He lives for Flexihire and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty – which is a good thing given the nature of working in the equipment hire industry!

Giving Rob this opportunity is not only a huge win for Flexihire as we have a passionate and dedicated employee. It also shines a light on the many benefits of employing people with disabilities and sets an example for other companies to follow.

Flexihire is proud to have Rob on board and the whole team look forward to supporting him and helping him learn and grow in this newly created role. Welcome Rob to the Flexihire Team.