How does a company construct a better, fairer and more modern solution to parental leave?

Becoming a parent – whether for the first, third or fifth time – is a beautiful thing.

It is a time of great change, new experiences, sleepless nights, happy memories and, yes, even some tough moments.

It’s a complex time that can deliver a rollercoaster of emotions.

Most importantly of all, however, it is a time that deserves your full attention and presence.

It is not a time when people should be worrying about money.

It’s not a time when people should be concerned about keeping up appearances with the boss.

It’s certainly not a time when people should be feeling ashamed about needing a day or a month off work.

Yet, for so many of us, the joy of parenthood is often muddled up in a riddle of anxiety, pressure and an increasingly eroded work-life boundary.

For many, one of the biggest questions posed by becoming a parent is, ‘how soon can I get back to work?’

Women, for example, typically have 42% less superannuation than their male counterparts, thanks in large part to the idea that they should be the natural (and typically) unpaid carer, not just for newborns but all family members [1].

On the other hand, one study showed that 34% of men said they feared they would be seen as being less committed at work for taking parental leave [2].

It’s an experience and a feeling I am all too familiar with.

I’m a father of three. Both times my wife and I welcomed our children into the world (my youngest children are twins) I was working high-pressure upper-management jobs.

Both times, I felt the pressure of taking time off work – even if that time was part of my employment agreement – and had to battle a constant flurry of emails coming into my inbox.

I never returned to the job I was employed in after the twins arrived. For me, it just wasn’t worth the stress.

Those experiences have stayed with me and for a long time, I have wanted to be able to help design and construct a better, fairer and more modern solution to parental leave.

It’s taken me longer than I would have liked, but I am filled with pride to see Accurassi deliver our brand-new parental leave policy, just in time for our very own Head of Product, Julia to take full advantage of.

The policy has also been backdated to ensure that our Head of Client Services and new father, Darragh, can also enjoy plenty of special moments with his daughter.

By backing this bold vision, Accurassi has delivered a more modern approach to parental leave that includes:

• Gender-neutral paid parental leave for 10 weeks anytime during the first year of birth, adoption or fostering, regardless of gender. This includes the parents of a stillborn child.
• An additional two weeks paid leave for the birthing parent, acknowledging the physical and emotional impact on birthing parents. This additional time will allow the birthing parent to fully recover and enjoy being a parent.

This leave is available to Accurassi employees as soon as they start a permanent role and provides 100% of their base salary for the duration of that 10 weeks.

That time can be taken by employees as and when they see fit in the 12 months following the arrival of their child, however, it is expected that all 10 weeks will be taken.

Accurassi will also pay superannuation during parental leave for up to 12 months, whilst the parent/s will continue to accrue annual leave during this time.

We are also committed to ensuring all flexible working options will be supported in helping the parent return to work

In formulating this policy, we really wanted to create something that had zero exceptions and zero need for questions.

I wanted a policy that meant no one had to feel ashamed or embarrassed about taking time off work.

In all honesty?

I wanted to create employee policies that left no red tape or hoops to jump through.

A policy that acknowledged the various types of families we deal with and the various circumstances that can occur when it comes to childbirth and parenting.

It was for this reason that I was particularly careful to ensure that this policy was truly gender-neutral and was inclusive of parents of stillborn children as well.

In formulating this policy, there has been no shortage of questions.

How will the business cope without key people for 10 weeks?

How will you stop people from taking advantage?

For me, the answer is simple.

We trust.

We trust our hiring processes mean that we are bringing in the right people. Whether they are expecting or adopting a child is irrelevant because we are hiring for the long-term, not for the next two months.

We trust that our systems and processes will allow us to carry on and do what we need to do while our new parents take the time they need to be present in their moment.

We trust that this time will allow our people to be the best version of themselves when they are ready and willing to get back to work.

I am so happy to be part of an organisation like Accurassi that helped me realise what I truly believe is the right way to approach parental leave and I can’t wait for more pictures of Julia and her child enjoying their first months together.

I hope that in bringing this policy to life, Accurassi can play a small part in encouraging other businesses to review their own parental leave policies in search of a better way forward for their organisation and their people.

[1] https://www.australiansuper.com/superannuation/superannuation-articles/2020/02/gender-equality-and-your-super

[2] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-08/parental-leave-for-fathers/11471762#:~:text=Of%20the%20men%20surveyed%2C%2054,and%20responsibility%20of%20the%20mother