Finding new ways to make things work
Elizabeth Hall, Vice President of Employee Experience at a large health care company, has spent her career navigating moments of change. Her story is a powerful reminder that integrating work and life is about staying adaptive through brave conversations and practical experiments.
A bold beginning
More than two decades ago, before her son Spencer was born, Elizabeth wanted to stay engaged with work while also being present as a parent. At the time, very few people in her company worked remotely, but she decided to ask.
She thought, “My company doesn’t really have anyone who telecommutes, but maybe they’ll let me work from Portland. I also knew they weren’t going to fire me for asking.”
Her proposal was to travel to Los Angeles every other week for four days and work from home the rest of the time. Her boss agreed. What started as an experiment lasted two and a half years, with the company even covering her travel.
Taking lessons forward
After Spencer was born, she decided she would resign, thinking she would be a full-time mom for a while. That was until her husband was laid off. “So there we were, with a baby and no jobs.” Fortunately, her former employer offered part-time consulting projects, which gave her a way to maintain her career while being home with Spencer. It also taught her a lesson that would guide much of her life: investing in relationships and doing your best work often creates openings when you need them most.
As time passed, Elizabeth became the family’s primary earner and took on a new position that delivered both excitement and high demands. It was fulfilling, yet it also left her stretched thin. “I felt like I didn’t have enough time for my child. I didn’t have enough time for my spouse. I didn’t have enough time for friends or family.”
Once again, she recognized it was time to recalibrate.
Building new foundations
Ultimately, she wanted to find a job that matched her values. She wanted to invest time in being a parent, develop a good working relationship with her ex-husband and make time for her mother, who had just lost her spouse. Once again, she applied her well-honed skills of finding new ways to have work and family work in harmony.
“When my mom said, ‘What if we just got a big house together?’ it sounded interesting.” Elizabeth continued, “But I had learned the importance of testing ideas first, so we decided to try it for a while before making it permanent.”
The arrangement worked beautifully and became a lasting solution. Living together created new support systems and gave Spencer meaningful time with his grandmother. It also showed how thoughtful experiments and being intentional can lead to lasting improvements in how we live and work.
Pivoting to remote work for all
Years after that important family decision, Elizabeth helped her company move through another major transition when remote work suddenly became essential. Her son’s school had become one of the first in the nation to test virtual learning during the pandemic, and she quickly noticed how effective it could be. Drawing from that moment, she proposed a similar “test day” for her organization.
“We told everyone to take their laptop home for a day,” she said. “The test went well, and ten days later, when the state issued a lockdown, we were ready.”
Today, Elizabeth’s team continues to refine flexible systems that support employees’ evolving needs.
Lessons in leadership
Looking back, Elizabeth sees a clear pattern. Moving through change with persistence and care has made her the leader she is today.
“You know, we’re all the same people no matter where we go,” she said. “The skills you build at work help you at home, and the skills you build at home help you at work. And although you might not be able to solve everything at the beginning, you can solve what’s right in front of you, and you can evolve.”
Thank you, Elizabeth, for teaching us that integration is not about perfection or getting everything done. It is about learning to adapt, remain open, and keep refining the solution you will need for the stage of life you are in.
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