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A big four firm is now the best workplace for dads for the second year in a row, as it looks to champion equality in childcare responsibilities.
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Big 4 crowned top workplace for dads
24 December 2020
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Deloitte Australia has again taken out the number one spot in the Best Australian Workplaces for New Dads 2020 List published by HBF’s Direct Advice for Dads.
To qualify for consideration for the ranking, companies had to offer a minimum of two weeks’ paid secondary carer’s leave, 12 weeks’ paid primary carer’s leave, and flexible work practices to accommodate dads participating more fully in childcare responsibilities. Primary carer’s leave also had to be made available for a minimum of 12 months after the birth.
Deloitte’s inclusion, diversity and wellbeing national lead partner, Margaret Dreyer, said the achievement was an endorsement of the firm’s new parental leave policy introduced in 2019.
The new policy removes all maternity, paternity, primary or secondary carer labels, and include all types of families including birth, adoptive, surrogate, foster and same-sex parents.
New parents are offered 18 weeks of paid leave, including superannuation; the option to take leave over the first 36 months after the arrival of a child; continuing superannuation contributions while taking unpaid parental leave; and the option to take parental leave at the same time as their partner.
According to Ms Dreyer, the firm has seen a 20 per cent increase in the utilisation of the policy by its male workforce, with 40 per cent of Deloitte dads now accessing the policy.
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“This is a wonderful example of the positive societal impact parental leave policies can have on shared caring responsibilities and gender equality,” Ms Dreyer said.
Deloitte chief executive Richard Deutsch said the firm was committed to gender equality and providing equal access to parental leave for all types of families played an important part in achieving this.
“I’m extremely proud of our parental leave policy and the impact it’s making, not just in supporting all Deloitte parents, but also as a conversation starter to challenge the long-held gender stereotypes that still exist in Australian society and the workplace, and to drive greater equality for everyone,” Mr Deutsch said.
Deloitte’s commitment to equality between parents comes as a recent university study found that inflexible workplace arrangements were continuing to drive women out of the profession.
The study by the Monash Business School found that many women saw part-time or flexible working arrangements as “career suicide”.
“Women in professional firms feel like they have to behave in certain ways to maintain their career,” said researcher Dr Alessandro Ghio.
“Part-time work and job sharing, even leaving early to pick up the kids from school, is still seen to be frowned upon in many workplaces and in terms of limiting women’s potential for advancement.
“Many of the women we spoke to are considering not just leaving the organisation but the accounting profession altogether.”
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