Daryl chats to us about juggling his career and being in the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers Militia
We were extremely proud to publicise our promise of support to all those who serve, by signing the Army Covenant back in July last year. We recognise that our Army Reservists are a crucial part of the Defence family, and by implementing protective and flexible workplace policies, we’re able to empower our employees to make a real difference to their personal and professional development.
We caught up with Daryl to hear his story…
What is your Admiral background?
‘’I’ve worked for Admiral for ten and a half years; I began in Claims taking customer calls and joined Claims Audit four years ago and have been there ever since.’’
Why did you join the Army Reservists and what Regiment are you part of?
“Joining the Army had always been at the back of my mind and it came to a moment in time where it was now or never. My fitness levels weren’t great, so I focused on my training, lost a load of weight and signed up!
I’d joined for a little extra challenge in my life, to do something different and to push myself out of my comfort zone. The opportunity presented itself and I grabbed it.
I didn’t want to leave Admiral and go into the Army full time but I was craving a new challenge. It’s great that I’m able to enjoy my job here, whilst thriving in a new environment as an Army Reservist.
I’m in the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers Militia and have been for the past year now.”
How are you finding balancing your two roles as well as family life?
“A Royal Engineer is one of the most diverse roles offered in the Army; it’s not just soldiering, but also Combat Engineering – essentially, you have to have a broad spectrum of skills, from front-line Soldier to construction and logistics. The training has been intense; a lot of it you do at the start when joining, but as there is so much, the training carries on as your career progresses.
The Claims department has been really good with flexible working; I’m able to finish work earlier at times to get to the Regiment and development courses on time – my managers have been incredibly supportive and have given me all the time I’ve needed.
I needed five weeks off this year for training which was all signed off by the Admiral management team. The training then changed due to unforeseen circumstances, but work was so flexible, I took a mixture of paid holiday and unpaid leave for this (I’m still paid by the Army during such training).
The flexible working at Admiral is important to me; I know how lucky I am to get this support from my employer.
I’m doing a good job of balancing my job at Admiral, the Reserves and my family life.”
Do you find that your Army career has complimented your role here at Admiral?
“The training has been fantastic in the Army, it teaches you about responsibility, drive, how to take control of situations, as well as confidence building.
The training opportunities are endless, from leadership courses to learning how to work as a team – the training is second to none and continuous.
These are all transferable skills that I bring to my role here at Admiral, so ultimately, my Reservist career benefits both parties!”