The Camber: Building bonds on the Old Portsmouth shoreline

The area known as The Camber sits on the picturesque shores of Old Portsmouth. The historic maritime district is lined with cobblestone pathways and beautiful architecture of various eras. One of the newer structures on the Portsmouth harbour skyline is appropriately named 'The Camber', and this is where our story begins.

Mark Rogers is the Facilities Manager at Camber Property Management, and it has been his job over the past ten years to look after 'The Camber' building, purpose-made for the INEOS Britannia Americas Cup sailing team. Mark's role began with the team itself to maintain the property, but as they now spend more time on the road, the site has been repurposed to support the commercial business ventures of Ben Ainslie Racing. Today, Mark's role ensures that organisations based in The Camber building are supported and that any concerns raised by residents of Old Portsmouth are resolved, contributing to a harmonious community.

There is nothing we love more than someone enjoying Leave Dates so much that they introduce it in their next workplace. Mark's previous employer used Leave Dates, and he found it so useful that bringing it across to The Camber was a no-brainer.

We met Mark during a quick support query, and he reminded us that Leave Dates is more than leave management for businesses. It allows people to schedule time for family, friends and all of the great adventures in life. After all, that is the time we work hard for. Taking a more modern approach to management, he gives his team the flexibility to be productive without sacrificing a work-life balance. His leadership philosophy is centred around empathetic leadership, and he utilises tech, like Leave Dates, as a communication tool when a team member needs time off.

"Sometimes life can be hard. If someone is sick or has personal issues, and needs time off, Leave Dates makes life easier. If you have HR managing this and you have to be in constant contact with them, it can be complicated and time-consuming for everybody."

Flexibility for young families is another important part of working at The Camber. With the ever-growing pressure on families to juggle the cost of living and childcare, Mark, as a husband and father of two, understands that maximising every resource to deliver flexibility to his team is paramount. While this flexibility means that some of the team's working hours can sit outside the typical 9 to 5, he believes that his staff are more dedicated and equally flexible for work as a result.

The Camber Property Management use the reporting features of Leave Dates to ensure that team members take all the time off they are entitled to. Mark generates reports for the team and discusses how they can improve work-life balance.

Mark aptly states, "We don't just look after a facility; we look after each other." His sentiment genuinely encapsulates his dedication as caretaker of The Camber, its team, and their families. We were heartened to discover that it also extended to Leave Dates. Mark frequently recommends us to the managers of all kinds of businesses he deals with, saying, "We're all very impressed with Leave Dates."

Thank you to Mark for contributing to our case study, and for always recommending Leave Dates. 💙