5 Game-Changing Insights to Create & Sustain Family Friendly Workplaces

As a proud advisory group member of Family Friendly Workplaces, I am privileged to share the key findings and actionable insights from the recently published 2024 National Working Families Report. This comprehensive study, conducted in collaboration with UNICEF Australia, thoroughly explores the challenges working parents and carers face in Australia and offers valuable recommendations for employers and policymakers to foster a more equitable and supportive work environment.

The State of Working Families in 2024

Based on data from over 6200 Australian working families, the report uncovers persistent gender biases in workplace policies and practices. Despite some progress since the inaugural 2019 survey, the findings underscore that traditional gender roles continue to shape the availability and acceptance of family-friendly workplace arrangements. Men are less likely to access paid parental leave or flexible work options, reinforcing the stereotype of men as primary income earners and women as primary caregivers. This imbalance intensifies the pressure on women to balance work and caregiving responsibilities, a situation that demands immediate attention.

Key Findings

Gender Norms and Parental Leave: The report shows that men still face significant barriers to accessing family-friendly policies, perpetuating gender disparities in caregiving roles. This affects family dynamics and hampers gender equality in the workplace.

Workplace Stress: Increased work-related stress negatively impacts home life and relationships, particularly for those struggling to balance professional and family responsibilities.

Positive Impact of Family-Friendly Policies: Employers who have embraced comprehensive family-friendly policies report a significant boost in employee satisfaction and a marked reduction in negative impacts on work-life balance. This success story should inspire other organisations to follow suit and create a more supportive work environment.

Actionable Insights for Employers

To drive meaningful change, the report offers a wealth of actionable recommendations for employers. These insights are not just suggestions, but powerful tools that can transform workplaces into more inclusive and supportive environments.

1. Invest in Paid Parental Leave (PPL): Adopt best practice standards for PPL, including gender-neutral policies, removal of primary and secondary carer labels, and paid superannuation during PPL. Superannuation, a form of retirement savings, is critical to employee benefits in Australia. This helps to eliminate gender-biased hiring and career discrimination.
2. Equitable Access to Policies: Ensure that family-friendly workplace policies include all employees, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, cultural background, length of service, or family type.
3. Mental Health and Wellbeing: Develop and implement a wellbeing strategy that links employees' caring needs with their physical and mental health. Create open channels for discussing job stress, workloads, and external work challenges.
4. Evaluate and Improve Practices: Benchmark against industry standards and engage employees to define solutions that effectively meet diverse needs. Measure the cost-benefit of family-friendly work practices to build a business case for change.
5. Diverse Carer Needs: Develop formal policies or guidelines that address the diverse needs of carers. Support access to affordable early childhood education and care and provide provisions for before- and after-school care and vacation care.

The 2024 National Working Families Report emphasises again the need for continued efforts to eliminate gender biases and support working parents and carers. By adopting the recommendations outlined in the report, employers can create a more inclusive and supportive work environment that benefits employees, the broader economy, and society. We urge you to take immediate action to implement these recommendations and contribute to a more equitable and supportive work environment.

Download the full report.

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