New Research: 20 Best Australian Workplaces for New Dads 2019

Last year, HBF’s Direct Advice For Dads asked the question, “Where is the best place for new dads to work in Australia?”

What we discovered surprised us, and in the best way. Australian companies were clearly dedicated to helping new dads have greater involvement in their children’s lives. When we revisited the research this year, there were more surprises in store.

As Australian companies grapple with big issues like gender equality, pay equity and fostering an inclusive workforce, a common thread emerges.

Diversity creates more commercially profitable businesses. It’s impossible to achieve diversity, especially in management ranks, without developing inclusive policies for all employees. It’s a win for dads, especially those who want to be directly involved in caring for their children.

Once again, HBF teamed up with research consultancy CoreData to analyse the secondary and primary carer paid leave policies of Australia’s largest revenue-producing companies, according to IBISWorld.

HBF’s Direct Advice For Dads is thrilled to publish “20 Best Australian Workplaces for New Dads 2019”, the second annual reporting of this Australia-first research.

Eligibility requirements for workplaces

To make the list, companies had to meet four criteria:

1. Provide no less than two weeks’ paid secondary carer’s leave.
2. Provide a minimum of 12 weeks’ paid primary carer’s leave.
3. Offer flexible work practices to accommodate dads participating more fully in childcare responsibilities.
4. Have a “pass-the-baton” policy where the primary carer’s leave is available for a minimum of 12 months after the arrival of a baby, allowing dads to step in as primary carer when their partners return to work.

What we discovered this year is the top companies in Australia are rapidly adopting gender-neutral policies and strategies in their operations. They’re also committing to having all levels of management endorse these new policies through direct participation. Every company and every dad we spoke to about paid parental leave was universally enthusiastic about the opportunities these policies provide for both professional and personal growth.

In 2019, 66 companies met our eligibility criteria for dad-friendly workplaces. That’s a sizeable increase of 50 per cent over last year’s field of 44. Next, we ranked companies on the length of their paid secondary carer’s leave, since this is the most important benefit for new dads. (The top five companies don’t differentiate between secondary and primary care leave. Every employee is entitled to the same amount.) Then we took into account the length of paid primary carer’s leave, flexible working policies, the number of dads taking primary carer leave in the organisation, and any additional parent and childcare services available to all employees. We crunched the numbers and arrived at our top 20 workplaces for dads.

1) Deloitte Australia

Deloitte Australia has lifted the bar on parental leave with a comprehensive new package that will lead the way in creating a shared, flexible and family-friendly solution for its people in raising their children.

The accounting services firm offers 18 weeks’ paid leave to all new parents. Each employee can take the leave over a three-year period, in a range of flexible ways to suit the unique needs of their family. Deloitte is intent on providing all parents the opportunity to be present and provide support to their children in the early years. This approach has resulted in a 128 per cent increase in men taking parental leave entitlements.

“At Deloitte, we’re committed to inclusion in all its forms, including achieving gender equality in the workplace. We know that one powerful and effective way we can do this is by supporting our people with family caring responsibilities, regardless of their gender,” said Margaret Dreyer, National Lead Partner, Inclusion, Diversity & Wellbeing.

“We’ve made it clear that our policy is for all types of families including birth, adoptive, surrogate, foster and same-sex parents, as well as intentionally calling out to our Deloitte dads to encourage them to take extended parental leave.

“The removal of the primary and secondary carer labels in our policy helped immensely to remove the misconception that parental leave was only for women. We simply call it ‘parental leave’ and it’s available to both parents, regardless of gender or caring role.”

Paid parental leave is available as soon as new employees successfully complete their probation period. Deloitte employees can take parental leave at the same time as their spouse or partner. If both parents work for Deloitte, they are entitled to take parental leave at the same time.

Other family-friendly programs at Deloitte fall under a much larger diversity and inclusion strategy. Their collective offering for supporting parents includes:

• Deloitte Dads – a program encouraging men to take parental leave and work flexibly.
• Return to Work – this program allows any individual who has taken an extended career break the opportunity to take part in a fully paid 20-week intern-style transition program back into the workplace.
• Reconnect Program – provides coaching for new parents so they gain confidence and support to advance their career and balance their life and family. Parents are entitled to one-to-one coaching sessions along with resources and materials to help them navigate parenthood.
• WorkAgility – flexible work strategy focusing on giving individuals the choice in how, when and where they work while still meeting client and other work commitments.

• Paid parental leave: 18 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
• Number of employees: 7842

The value of paid parental leave grows exponentially with each child.

Philip Robinson, Financial Advisory Director, took 18 weeks of paid parental leave for his first two children, Charlotte and Eliza. He’s currently on his third parental leave break after the birth of his son, Caleb.

“I forged an incredibly strong relationship with my two daughters and watched them grow, learn and experience life.”

2) Telstra

Debut 2019

Telstra’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and flexibility focuses on ensuring team members are able to balance professional and personal lives. The telecom giant wants each employee to bring their whole self to work and knows it won’t happen unless there’s a lot of choice available.

“Our Diversity and Inclusion strategy takes a holistic view of diversity – we listen more, prioritise fairness and promote opportunities for under-represented groups within our business,” explains Alex Badenoch, Telstra Group Executive of Transformation and People.

“We want every parent, regardless of gender, to be able to share caring responsibilities while maintaining their career.”

With one of the best paid leave arrangements in the country, new parents on the Telstra team have 16 weeks to dedicate to their family. How they choose to spend the time is up to them and the variations of how they implement the “All Roles Flex” policy are as varied as the workforce. They may support a partner’s return to the workforce, introduce their baby to immediate family who live overseas or experience firsthand the daily activities of a growing bub.

“This change is already having a positive effect on the lives of some of our people, and it’s being welcomed and supported by many others,” Ms. Badenoch said.

• Paid parental leave: 16 weeks
• Headquarters: Melbourne, VIC
• Industry: Information Media and Telecommunications
• Number of employees: 28,028

The memories we’re creating as a family unit are immeasurable.

“The recent Parental Leave policy change has allowed me to spend real, quality time with Emerson and enjoy some of those “first” moments I otherwise would’ve missed. It’s also given us the freedom to visit immediate family living overseas who haven’t yet been able to meet Emerson (something that would have been previously hard to navigate).”

Wayan Hadi – Multi-Domain Sales Specialist, Melbourne

3) Medibank Private

Health insurer Medibank Private introduced their FamilyFLEX policy in March 2018 in an effort to increase male utilisation of paid parental leave and become an attractive employer for top talent. When they removed the titles of primary and secondary carer, the response from “dads to be” was immediate and incredibly positive.

“We’re proud that 33% of employees taking parental leave at Medibank are male, which has increased from 2.5%. It shows FamilyFLEX is making a difference and is changing the culture around men taking parental leave,” said Kylie Bishop, head of People and Culture.

More males are taking parental leave and working flexibly at Medibank – and they’re sharing positive stories with others.

“The attitudes towards family responsibilities have shifted throughout the business. We know many men weren’t always comfortable asking for parental leave, or leaving earlier for child pick up, feeling it could affect their career prospects,” explained Ms. Bishop.

• Paid parental leave: 14 weeks
• Headquarters: Melbourne, VIC
• Industry: Financial and Insurance Services
• Number of employees: 1873

Medibank’s parental leave policy too good to pass up.

“My wife will be heading back to work when I start my leave and having one of us staying at home with the kids will help her make her transition back to work easier. As well, our eldest daughter is finishing up kindergarten and starting school next year, so being able to take the time off over school holidays means we don’t need to find a short-term caring option for her.”

Nick Bailey, Senior Executive of Strategy and Analytics

4) Novartis

Debut 2019

Novartis rolled out a new parental leave policy in 2019, offering equal paid parental leave to all parents through birth, surrogacy or adoption, and regardless of gender. The pharmaceutical and medical company is hoping to encourage a cultural shift where it’s okay  for fathers and non-birthing partners to embrace an approach to family care traditionally taken by mothers.

Novartis employees enjoy 14 weeks’ paid parental leave for both parents, eligible from their first day of employment. Novartis wants employees to make the right choices for the health and wellbeing of their families, by offering flexibility and financial stability.

“The Novartis Parental Leave Policy is a symbol of equality for all new parents at Novartis. It gives parents choices to suit their individual circumstances, as well as precious time to bond with their new family member,” said Lauren Carey, Country President of Novartis Australia & New Zealand.

Novartis furthers its commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace by offering the same parental leave to all parents, regardless of gender or LGBTIQ+ identity.

Prior to taking parental leave and upon re-entry to work, Novartis employees are provided coaching to help them understand their options and support their reintegration into the workplace.

• Paid parental leave: 14 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Wholesale Trade
• Number of employees: 812

Fatherhood is a completely unimaginable, life-changing experience.

“I can’t overstate the importance of not just the policies that support inclusion, but the people and culture to support their implementation. It was getting the mix right at Novartis that made all the difference for me.”

Othon Gervasio – Medical Director

5) QBE Insurance Group

Debut 2019

QBE is serious about tackling the cultural barriers men experience when taking leave to support new additions to their families. The insurance company’s “Share the Care” initiative is designed to encourage gender-equal parenting by removing the “primary” and “secondary” carer labels from their paid parental leave scheme.

In October, QBE changed the qualifying service period from 12 months to six months. The 12-weeks paid leave can be taken over the course of a 24-month period. And, if both parents are employed at QBE, they’re both eligible for paid parental leave.

“With men making up only 5 per cent of the parents who access paid parental leave in Australia, we are serious about tackling the cultural barriers of men feeling comfortable to take this leave. We’ve addressed a key barrier by providing flexible options to access the leave – perhaps by reducing their working week from five days to three or four days – to support the unique needs of each family,” explained Vivek Bhatia, CEO of QBE Australia Pacific.

“We are also encouraging our senior male leaders to role model the initiative and address any mindset barriers by demonstrating that it’s okay to prioritise family.

“Since we launched Share the Care in March, we’ve already seen several male employees access the policy flexibly, which immediately tells us that the policy better supports new dads and their individual family circumstances. The feedback that we’ve received has indicated improved family wellbeing and more flexibility for their partners to decide when to head back to work.”

• Paid parental leave: 12 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Financial and Insurance Services
• Number of employees: 3050

Sharing the load at home without experiencing career setbacks.

“All of my colleagues have been amazing. They are all so supportive, and I haven’t found the four-day week has impacted my professional growth at all. If anything, I’m more productive and engaged because of it. I know there are a few other men at QBE now participating in the same scheme, and I would honestly recommend any of my colleagues to access this leave if they are eligible.

How, when and where we work are all changing, and it’s up to us to find what works best for us and our families.”

Vernon Griffith, Global Head of HR Service Design & Delivery    

6) Tabcorp

Debut 2019

The Tabcorp parental leave policy is designed to be fully inclusive of all genders and cater to any way in which Tabcorp employees can become a parent. There’s no qualifying period for paid parental leave.

The gambling entertainment company’s policy gives secondary carers six weeks’ paid parental leave, while primary carers receive 18 weeks of paid parental leave. Tabcorp employees are encouraged to use the flexible paid leave in the way that best suits them over the first 24 months of their child’s life.

“When we create a balanced, bias-free workplace, we unlock our potential and become a better workplace where everyone is welcomed and respected,” said Merryl Dooley, Chief People Officer.

“On International Women’s Day this year we launched our Inclusion and Diversity strategy, created with the input of team members from across the business. The three-year roadmap sets out our plan to become an employer of choice for inclusion and diversity.”

“Our policies are designed to support all team members and we’re so proud to have been named as one of the Best Workplaces for New Dads. Our parental leave policy allows for pass-the-baton leave and we’re seeing more Dads make use of primary carer’s leave when their partner returns to work. We’re proud to help lead the way in creating truly balanced and inclusive workplaces in Australia.”

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 6 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 18 weeks
• Headquarters: Melbourne, VIC
• Industry: Arts and Recreation Services
• Number of employees: 5119

Working two days, caring for children three days a week is a positive experience.

“It’s given me a different parenting experience. It forced me to improve the way I manage my time, team and priorities. I have really enjoyed my experience and am thankful for the opportunity. The reaction from friends, family and colleagues has been positive and encouraging – and frankly I have never been complemented so much in my life! It’s funny how attitudes to Dad’s opting to take paternity leave and Mum’s having to take maternity leave are still so different.”

Peter McCarthy, Head of Risk Advisory

7) Macquarie University

Debut 2019

Macquarie University is serious about parental leave. The Sydney-based university offers a generous policy, with 14 weeks of paid parental leave for full-time employees, with no eligibility requirements. An additional 12 weeks of paid parental leave is available when the employee has completed more than one year of continuous service.

“We aim to be progressive and innovative in recognising and supporting the different ways that staff of all genders can have families. This includes encouraging and supporting dads to take the time they need to spend with their family,” said Nicole Gower, Vice-President, People and Services.

Redefining the definition of “family member” and “partner” to ensure maximum inclusivity has led to more dads accessing parental leave as primary carers. Over 92 per cent of dads who took secondary carer’s leave also took advantage of paid primary carer’s leave. At Macquarie, family members include child, adult child, adopted child, foster-child or stepchild. Spouse or partner includes same-sex partner, de facto partner, or former spouse or partner. A parent can be an in-law, a foster-parent, grandparent, or sibling, or anyone who stands in a bona fide domestic or household relationship with a staff member — whether in a dependency or support role.

“We’re extremely proud to have been recognised for the provisions we offer to primary carers and the positive impact that these have on our workforce. We’re also proud to be the first university to offer surrogacy leave to those acting as a surrogate, that all primary carers have the right to return to work part-time for up to two years, and that our policies are inclusive of LGBTIQ+ members of our staff community,” Ms. Gower said.

In addition to a generous paid parental leave policy, Macquarie offers a number of other family-friendly programs to keep dads connected to their families while pursuing professional growth, such as flexible work arrangements, on-campus childcare options, and school holiday vacation programs.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 4 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 26 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Education and Training
• Number of employees: 5543

Everyone is respected and supported and has opportunities to progress.

“During and after my parental leave period, I’ve been on a flexible work arrangement which has allowed me to have a combination of long and short days. This has been beneficial for my family as it’s meant that I’ve been able to participate in childcare drop off and pick up. Additionally, I think the longer workdays allow me to accommodate a greater focus on projects and innovation of services for our teams.

From my experience, this kind of arrangement allows the business to be open longer hours and allows staff to be available to their family when they’re needed most.”

Benjamin Wilkes, Associate Director, Student Wellbeing

8) South32

Debut 2019

South32 has launched their new approach to family care. The new policy for the mining company is good enough to debut in the top 10 of the best workplaces for dads.

The Perth miner gives primary caregivers, regardless of gender, up to 26 weeks’ paid leave or 52 weeks’ leave at half-pay. Secondary caregivers receive four weeks’ leave at full pay. The goal for South32 is to support an inclusive workplace and to promote a healthy work-life balance for families.

“Our people are the foundation to our success and are key to ensuring our ongoing sustainability and productivity,” said Nicole Duncan, Chief People and Legal Officer.

“To attract and retain the best people, we need to offer a workplace that provides for equally fulfilling careers and personal lives.”

On top of the paid leave periods, flexible transition plans allow primary caregivers to return to work at 80 per cent capacity for four weeks at full pay. A lump-sum superannuation payment is also paid to the primary caregiver on their return to work after parental leave.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 4 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 26 weeks
• Headquarters: Perth, WA
• Industry: Mining
• Number of employees: 4468

Juggling two careers and two children and making it all work.

“The generous parental leave policy at South32 has given me the opportunity to spend six months as the primary caregiver for our second child, a baby girl born in August. The process was simple, with great support from my colleagues and leaders, though I can’t say late-night bottle feeds have gone as smoothly!

Our little girl is three months old now and my partner has returned to work earlier than most. We’re swapping some of the traditional roles as working parents, but the support and flexibility from our employers has allowed us to juggle life and careers in a way that works for us.”

Rob Ward, Manager Business Development

9) Mirvac

Mirvac launched their Shared Care Parental Leave policy in December 2017 to support employees who choose to have a family. The property group aims to provide support not only for mothers and fathers taking parental leave but also for parents transitioning back to work.

Leave can be taken up to 18 months after the birth or adoption of a child and does not have to be taken in a single block. Eligibility kicks in after six months of employment. Mirvac offers Special Paid Leave of 10 days in cases of pregnancy-related illness or complications during and after birth.

“Fundamentally, we wanted staff to enjoy being a parent and having time to bond with their child without undue financial pressure. We believe we have struck the right balance and also nurtured a cultural change to make taking time off acceptable, and indeed enjoyable, either as a secondary or primary caregiver,” said Stuart Pearson, National Human Resources Manager.

“This cultural change is evidenced by the fact that since its inception about 2 years ago, 16 per cent of staff taking leave as the primary carers have been male.”

In addition, Mirvac employees have the flexibility to tailor their own family-friendly arrangements to enhance their work-life balance. The My Simple Thing allows staff to make changes to their work hours by discussing with their managers creative ways to fit family into their working schedules, like doing the school drop off or attending children’s sporting events.

The Shared Care Parental Leave policy has contributed to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), giving Mirvac an Employer of Choice citation and helping them to be a  psychologically safe workplace.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 4 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 20 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Construction
• Number of employees: 1475

Being a full-time carer provides an everlasting bond between father and daughter.

“Not to sound too cliché, being the full-time carer for my one-year-old daughter, Willow, gave me the opportunity to build an everlasting bond. Before this, due to a busy work life, bonding time was limited to late-night feeds or weekends. My wife felt like she was a single mother!

It also helped my wife’s transition back to full-time at Mirvac, knowing our daughter was safe at home with me and I was nearby as we transitioned her to child care.

So, from the two-hour buffet feeding sessions while she transitioned to solid foods and joining my daughter in her ‘two-a-day’ naps, I would happily do this again!”

 David Do, Group Manager, Digital Solutions

10) Australian Securities Exchange

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) offers 16 weeks of paid parental leave for the primary carer and four weeks’ paid parental leave for the secondary carer. The ASX works with employees to help them overcome the challenges of early parenthood. For dads, that may mean taking the primary carer benefit once their partner goes back into the workforce.

“We understand the different stages of our employees’ lives, we spend time listening to our employees and updating our policies. We actively promote the uptake of Primary Carers Leave as we have experienced the value it brings,” said Anna Wild, Head of Talent Acquisition, Diversity & Inclusion.

“We are bringing the policies to life, removing stigma and empowering a co-parenting relationship. We recognise that children are at the heart of families. We connect the ASX family to our employees’ families by providing necessary support, hosting events such as an ASX picnic and bring your child to work day.”

A pro-family culture has created a workplace where dads feel comfortable taking parental leave knowing their career opportunities and reputation within the organisation will not be hampered.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 4 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 16 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Financial and Insurance Services
• Number of employees: 610

My wife received a job offer that was too good to turn down; we had a problem.

“Fortunately for us, ASX has a fantastic benefit by way of primary carer leave. After discussing my situation with my manager and HR (who were both incredibly supportive), I took on the role of primary carer just after our daughter turned one.

My experience over the last few months has been nothing short of amazing. Being there full-time to guide her through the development of language, movement, eating and drinking, social interaction… the memories I’ll have of that time and the bond created with my daughter will no doubt last a lifetime.

I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity and would strongly encourage any other dad to do the same as I did.”

Stu Radnidge, Infrastructure Architect in Technology

11) Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) knows workforce participation is improved when caring responsibilities for children are supported. The bank aims to provide all employees, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, access to paid parental leave and other support for caring and family responsibilities.

CBA encourages men to take parental leave and work flexibly so they can be fully active in parenting their children. Since adopting gender-neutral parental leave policies in 2016, the Sydney-based bank has seen a year-on-year increase in the number of men accessing parental leave for a period of more than four weeks.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 4 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 12 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Financial and Insurance Services
• Number of employees: 31,363

12) AustralianSuper

Debut 2019

AustralianSuper wants dads to be fully involved in caring for their children. The largest super industry fund is serious about flexible working conditions and committed to ensuring employees benefit from a work-life balance that enables everyone to be productive and healthy at work and at home.

AustralianSuper’s full-time and part-time employees are eligible for paid parental leave when they join the company. Other initiatives to support dads include normalising flexible working and removing assumptions and judgements about how women and men value or prioritise their career and family.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 4 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 14 weeks
• Headquarters: Melbourne, VIC
• Industry: Financial and Insurance Services
• Number of employees: 592

13) British American Tobacco Australasia

British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) offers generous pass-the-baton benefits, allowing secondary carers to access a further 23 weeks of paid primary carer’s leave after accessing the 3 weeks’ paid secondary carer’s leave. Dads can also flex their work schedules at every stage of their children’s lives, not just within the first year. BATA’s culture of family support even allows for spontaneous schedule changes to accommodate attendance at events that aren’t easy to predict in advance.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 3 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 26 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Manufacturing
• Number of employees: 380

14) Australian National University

Australian National University (ANU) provides paid parental leave to University employees who are expecting a baby, or who are adopting or fostering a child up to five years of age. The Canberra-based university provides parental leave to employees who have 12 months of continuous service at the date of birth or placement of a child.

ANU is dedicated to providing dads with flexibility to support the needs of their family. The University encourages staff to use annual or long service leave entitlements, alongside their parental leave if it suits their circumstances. In addition, the University provides staff with a range of flexible work arrangements and re-entry when returning to work following a period of parental leave.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 3 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 26 weeks
• Headquarters: Canberra, ACT
• Industry: Education and Training
• Number of employees: 5416

15) PwC Australia

PwC has one of Australia’s best paid parental leave policies which includes adoption, surrogacy, foster care, kinship care and stillbirth. The leave can be taken flexibly to best suit each employee. Seventy-five per cent of dads who took secondary carer’s also took primary carer’s leave.

Employees of the accounting services firm also have access to Families@PwC, a network designed to help balance career and care responsibilities. It also supports those looking to start a family in the future.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 3 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 18 weeks
• Headquarters: Melbourne, VIC
• Industry: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
• Number of employees: 6999

16) Curtin University of Technology

Curtin University encourages every employee to pursue work-life balance by providing several family-friendly policies, including onsite childcare facilities at some of its worksites and childcare assistance in the first year of their child’s birth. Dads are empowered to manage their time using flexible working opportunities. Curtin experienced the highest uptake of their paid parental leave policy, with 100% of dads who took secondary carer’s leave going on to take primary carer’s leave, as well.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 3 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 14 weeks
• Headquarters: Perth, WA
• Industry: Education and Training
• Number of employees: 7606

17) SAP Australia

SAP places great focus on promoting a healthy family-career balance for all their employees. They know becoming a dad is a major life event requiring flexible work arrangements. SAP has both a policy and strategy to support employees with childcare responsibilities. In addition to parental leave entitlements, SAP ensures leaders throughout the organisation are visible role models of flexible working, and flexible working is promoted to all employees as a positive way to work.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 3 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 17 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
• Number of employees: 1413

18) EY

EY allows dads to take parental leave on either a full-time or part-time basis and provides parenting workshops for dads at some of its worksites. The strategy and management consulting firm provides an online tool for employees during their parenting journey, with a section specifically for fathers. The tool helps new dads know what to expect and how to plan for a new arrival. It also provides support for being on parental leave and making a successful transition back to work. Dads have embraced EY’s parental care benefits, with 56 per cent of those taking secondary carer’s leave also taking paid primary carer’s leave.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 3 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 14 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
• Number of employees: 6299

19) IAG

Debut 2019

IAG has benefits to support dads, including 3 weeks of paid secondary carer’s leave, 14 weeks of paid primary carer’s leave, plus a welcome-back payment of an additional 6 week’s pay on the return to work. Flexible working arrangements in the insurance group accommodate part-time, job-sharing, variable hours and compressed working weeks to help dads find the right work-life balance for their family.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 3 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 14 weeks
• Headquarters: Sydney, NSW
• Industry: Financial and Insurance Services
• Number of employees: 8444

20) HBF

Debut 2019

Inspired by the results of their own research, HBF conducted a policy review to ensure all their employees were benefiting from their vision of having supportive workplaces for fathers. Changes to the policy included reclassifying the primary caregiver as anyone who assumed the main responsibility for the care and attention of a child. HBF also added a week to the secondary carer’s entitlement and two weeks to primary carer’s paid leave allowance.

“As one of the only three Western Australian organisations who made it to the top 20 list for 2019, we are proud to be an employer that provides new parents with a flexible parental leave policy regardless of whether they’re the primary or secondary carer,” said Angela North, Head of People and Culture.

“We are looking forward to offering more flexible benefits to young families to encourage parents to have equal opportunity and access to caring for their family and also actively support their partners returning to work.”

The Perth-based health insurer also offers flexi time, part-time hours and purchased annual leave options to help employees balance parenting responsibility with career opportunity. Coaching is available for dads returning from parental care leave, to make an easy transition back to work.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave: 3 weeks
• Paid primary carer’s leave: 14 weeks
• Headquarters: Perth, WA
• Industry: Financial and Insurance Services
• Number of employees: 885

How does your company stack up?

HBF and CoreData limited the 2019 report to the largest 500 companies in Australia by revenue (according to IBISWorld), using company reports to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), publicly available policies on parental leave, enterprise agreements, media reports, and direct communication with HR and PR departments to compile all data. Where companies did not respond to a request for information, we relied on publicly available data. The final dataset used to compile the report was collected between 20 May and 25 June 2019. If your parental leave policy helps dads participate more fully in caring for their children, we want to hear from you. If you would like to know how your company could feature on this list next year, please contact us.

 

Media enquiries: Tamma Kirkby on  0468 711 009 / Tamma.Kirkby