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MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT: Striking the Balance: Insights from the 2024 National Working Families Survey Released. Today, we release the key findings of the 2024 National Working Families survey (last run in 2019). The results shed light on the ongoing struggles faced by over 6000 Australian working parents and carers in balancing their job and family caring responsibilities and their impact. Download the Executive Summary and Key Findings now: https://lnkd.in/gCQY4-rD The results are stark, revealing the ongoing gender bias around flex working and caring continuing to persist. Despite efforts to progress gender equality in workplaces in the last 5 years, very little has shifted.   Here are the highlights: - Stress Disparity: 74% of women feel stressed juggling work and family, compared to 57% of men, indicating urgent attention is needed for gender challenges at work. - Gender Bias: 56% find it more acceptable for women to use family-friendly options. This is reflected in parental leave uptake, with 48% of men taking less than a month compared to 91% of women taking over four months. - Professional Impact: 50% feel their job commitment is questioned when using family-friendly options. - Childcare Hurdles: Access to childcare is a significant challenge, calling for more supportive employer initiatives. - Parental Leave Demand: 41% of parents want longer parental leave. - Talent Retention Risk: 28% consider leaving their job due to work-life difficulties. - Managerial Influence: 75% of men believe managers supporting flexible work are better equipped to assist employees. The impact of these findings not only comes at a personal cost to employees and their children and other loved ones they care for, but the ripple effect cost to employers and our economy is a wake-up call for policymakers and leaders to double down on efforts to reduce work-life conflict and remove barriers that get in the way of gender equality progress. Parents At Work extends huge thank you to our survey partners: UNICEF Australia, Deloitte, The Parenthood, QBE Insurance, and Karitane. Our advocacy supporters and media partners including:   Women's Agenda, Kiindred ™, FTI Consulting, Challenge DV, Genea, Kiddo KidsCo Australia, Norton Rose Fulbright, PANDA - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia, Rainbow Families, SMS4dads, Diversity Council Australia Ltd, Australian Multiple Birth Association (AMBA), Franklin Women, Le Courrier Australien - LCANews, The Fathering Project, The Inclusion Circle, Working Parents Connect, National Association of Women in Operations (NAWO), Connected Parenting Genevieve Muir, Domestic Violence NSW, DR Care Solutions, UN Women Australia, Gidget Foundation Australia, SNAICC - National Voice for our Children, Thrive By Five, nbn® Australia and Mercer Australia. #NWFS2024 #FamilyFriendly #InclusiveWorkplaces

 The key findings of the 2024 National Working Families survey are in (last run in 2019). The results shed light on the ongoing struggles faced by over 6000 Australian working parents and carers in balancing their job and family caring responsibilities and their impact. Download the Executive Summary and Key Findings now: https://lnkd.in/gCQY4-rD

🤱🏼 Does your company strike the right balance when it comes to supporting your peoples' work and caring responsibilities? Read today’s executive findings from the 2024 National Working Families Survey from Parents At Work. ➡️ 50% of employees feel their job commitment is questioned when using family-friendly options. To find out more, download the Executive Summary and Key Findings now: https://lnkd.in/gCQY4-rD Here are a few examples of systemic change that have made a huge difference to NAWO member companies: 🏖 Introducing paid parental leave for men and actively encouraging them to take it ☕ Taking the focus off where work is done, focussing on outcomes achieved 🏭 Considering how requests for flexible work can work rather than how they can’t in operational environments 📅 Addressing issues caused by roster patterns for people who care for others 👩🏼🎓 Providing support and training for people going on and returning form parental leave 👷🏼♀️ Sourcing female-friendly work uniforms with buy-in from the people who wear them. #NWFS2024 #FamilyFriendly #InclusiveWorkplaces

For Men’s Mental Health Week, we're highlighting a new report by the Preventing Violence Together partnership – Working Dads: Towards Equal Caregiving. The report shares the experiences of 155 working dads in Melbourne’s west and sheds light on the challenges and aspirations of dads in balancing work and caregiving responsibilities. The report discusses the importance of workplaces supporting men as caregivers. When fathers take an equal share of parental leave, it leads to better mental health outcomes for families. When fathers share parental leave equally, it enables their partner to keep connected with the workplace and establishes lasting patterns of more equal caregiving and associated household work. Actively recognising fathers as caregivers and shifting workplace cultures to value both parents as equal caregivers would increase women’s access to paid work. It would enable fathers to make a greater contribution to caregiving, have a positive impact on the gender pay gap and reduce inequality between men and women. There are clear benefits for workplaces, including improved talent acquisition and retention, greater workplace satisfaction and enhanced productivity. The Working Dads: Towards Equal Caregiving report offers 18 actions for workplaces to address gendered issues in workplace cultures and bridge the gap between policy and practice. Key recommendations include:  • Reviewing and implementing flexible work policies: ensuring equal opportunities for all parents to take time off for caregiving.  • Encouraging dads to take parental leave: providing training for line managers and regular information sessions about workplace entitlements.  • Promoting supportive workplace cultures: recognising and respecting both parents as caregivers.  Find out more and download the report at https://lnkd.in/guFH79z4

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐩 To address the unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities that disproportionately affects women—spending two to ten times more time on unpaid household and care work compared to men—solutions must focus on systemic change. This disparity limits women's career opportunities and also reinforces traditional gender roles that hinder economic and social equality. 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒: 𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 Companies can implement flexible work policies such as remote work, part-time options, and adjusted working hours that allow women to balance their caregiving responsibilities with their professional duties. This helps retain talent and also shows a commitment to gender equality. 𝟐. 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 By offering generous parental leave policies, including paid leave for both mothers and fathers, companies enable women to recover from childbirth and tend to family needs without the stress of losing income or career momentum. This can also encourage men to take on more caregiving duties, which further promotes a culture of shared responsibility at home. 𝟑. 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Providing on-site childcare facilities, partnerships with local childcare providers, or stipends for childcare can significantly reduce the logistical and financial burdens on working women. Companies that invest in childcare support send a strong message about valuing women’s contributions both in and out of the office. 𝟒. 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Implementing mentoring programs specifically designed to support women’s career advancement can be effective. These programs should include role models and sponsors who can provide guidance and advocacy that help women handle the challenges of balancing work and domestic responsibilities. Businesses that implement these solutions will empower their working women and also build a stronger, more inclusive organizational culture. Investing in women’s careers benefits everyone—employees, employers, and the bottom line. It’s time for companies to take proactive steps to support women and ensure they have equal opportunities to succeed. What are your thoughts? How can companies further support women in the workplace? Share your reactions and join the conversation below! #womenempowerment #genderequality #LeadershipWithPurpose #Inspiration #WorkplaceCulture #CareerAdvice

Working from home equals more housework for women, but not for men. Research from Senhu Wang and Cheng Cheng, from the National University of Singapore, used Understanding Society to find that women in heterosexual couples in the UK are using #flexibleworking arrangements to manage more household tasks, reinforcing existing #gender inequalities. When men work from home, their contribution to housework remains largely unchanged. Women consistently performed 4-8 hours more housework per week than men. Tasks like shopping, cooking, cleaning, and washing were primarily done by women in 43-71% of couples, compared to less than 20% where men did these tasks. This research shows that flexible working increases women’s burden mainly in these routine tasks. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dyD6CbcZ

It's no surprise that balancing work and family commitments can be a source of stress for many people. However, the latest National Working Families survey sheds light on an alarming trend. Nearly 74% of women carers and mothers report feeling stressed as they juggle their professional responsibilities with family commitments. This isn't just a statistic; it's a reflection of the immense pressure many families are facing today. The stress experienced by parents and carers can significantly impact their physical and mental health, ultimately affecting the well-being of their loved ones. This is a call to action for employers, policymakers, and society as a whole to step up and support working parents and carers. I completely agree with the CEO of Parents At Work, Emma Walsh's call for workplace policies that promote flexibility, childcare support, and gender equality to support working parents and carers. These policies are crucial to ensuring that every family has the support they need to succeed in their work and personal lives. By creating a culture that values work-life harmony and actively works to create environments where employees can thrive both personally and professionally, we can improve the well-being of working parents and carers and ultimately create a more equitable and inclusive society. #WorkLifeBalance #WorkingParents #GenderEquality #FamilyCommitments #Caregiving #StressManagement #FlexibleWork #SupportingFamilies #WorkplaceWellness #ParentalLeave #WorkLifeHarmony #InclusiveWorkplace #DiversityandInclusion #EqualOpportunity #Belonging

Playing catch up on a few reports I've had filed in my inbox for a few weeks, and it's been fantastic to read insights from a survey conducted by Preventing Violence Together (PVT), a regional partnership of 26 organisations dedicated to ensuring women and girls in Melbourne’s west live free from violence and discrimination. Their report, 'Working Dads, Towards Equal Care,’ released in May this year shares the experiences of work and caregiving for 155 working dads in Melbourne's West. Despite most workplaces having organisation-wide flexible working and caring leave policies in place, fathers often access little or no parental leave following the birth of their child and few access flexible working arrangements to take on a share of the caregiving. Key findings from their survey included: 1️⃣ The workplace parenting penalty: Fathers who chose to take parental leave or use flexible working options experienced workplace penalties for doing so. 2️⃣ Gendered workplace barriers to care: Fathers experience multiple barriers (including workplace culture, structural and operational and financial) to parental leave access and flexible work. These are driven by gender norms, limiting their partner’s economic independence and their own parenting experience. 3️⃣ Workplace culture: Workplace cultural barriers and stigma deter employees from accessing caregiving policies, resulting in limited utilisation of flexible working options and parental leave, particularly among fathers who express a desire to use them. Recommendations for change include providing flexible work polices, driving uptake of parental leave, leadership and role modelling. “…Line managers have a key role to play in disrupting the ‘ideal worker norm’ that expects employees, particularly men, to prioritise their work over their caregiving responsibilities to be seen as successful in their role.” As the report highlights, actively recognising fathers as caregivers and shifting workplace cultures to value both parents as equal caregivers would: ▪ increase women’s access to paid work. ▪ enable fathers to make a greater contribution to caregiving, ▪ have a positive impact on the gender pay gap ▪ reduce inequality between men and women ▪  have positive impacts on employee and family wellbeing. Benefits extend to the workplace as well - including improved talent acquisition and retention, greater workplace satisfaction and enhanced productivity. I'd love to see more of my male colleagues take up the opportunity for parental leave - and publicly share their experiences! #genderequality 💻 Download the full report via the link below. https://lnkd.in/gckr4xaf

Experts say a report by Bupa demonstrates how ‘caring is the norm, not the exception’ for the modern workforce. The report - which draws upon findings from a survey of over 8,000 UK adults - revealed that 51% of the UK workforce say their career has been impacted by taking on responsibility for different generations of their family’s health and wellbeing. So, what does this mean for gender equality in the workplace? According to Charlotte Woodworth, gender equality director at Business in the Community, the report highlighted how care obligations were the "norm not the exception" for the modern workforce. Woodworth added that caring responsibilities were frequently assigned to women but, by encouraging men to take on caring responsibilities and making caring the norm rather than the exception, employers would benefit their businesses and facilitate career advancement for all employees, regardless of gender. She comments: “We urgently need to see employer policy and practice catch up to the reality that most workers have someone to care for. That means employers must do everything they can to ensure that all employees can balance work and wider life – embedding flexible working and family-friendly policies into their organisational strategy so that no one gets left behind." #familyfriendly #workingparents #flexibleworking https://lnkd.in/eCuGeNP6

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐩 To address the unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities that disproportionately affects women—spending two to ten times more time on unpaid household and care work compared to men—solutions must focus on systemic change. This disparity limits women's career opportunities and also reinforces traditional gender roles that hinder economic and social equality. 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒: 𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 Companies can implement flexible work policies such as remote work, part-time options, and adjusted working hours that allow women to balance their caregiving responsibilities with their professional duties. This helps retain talent and also shows a commitment to gender equality. 𝟐. 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 By offering generous parental leave policies, including paid leave for both mothers and fathers, companies enable women to recover from childbirth and tend to family needs without the stress of losing income or career momentum. This can also encourage men to take on more caregiving duties, which further promotes a culture of shared responsibility at home. 𝟑. 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Providing on-site childcare facilities, partnerships with local childcare providers, or stipends for childcare can significantly reduce the logistical and financial burdens on working women. Companies that invest in childcare support send a strong message about valuing women’s contributions both in and out of the office. 𝟒. 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Implementing mentoring programs specifically designed to support women’s career advancement can be effective. These programs should include role models and sponsors who can provide guidance and advocacy that help women handle the challenges of balancing work and domestic responsibilities. Businesses that implement these solutions will empower their working women and also build a stronger, more inclusive organizational culture. Investing in women’s careers benefits everyone—employees, employers, and the bottom line. It’s time for companies to take proactive steps to support women and ensure they have equal opportunities to succeed. What are your thoughts? How can companies further support women in the workplace? Share your reactions and join the conversation below! #womenempowerment #genderequality #LeadershipWithPurpose #Inspiration #WorkplaceCulture #CareerAdvice