Latest news and highlights from Circle In

This month, we’re focussing on our latest research report The Fatherhood Trap: Why Australian Dads Want To Take Parental Leave But Don’t (Or Can’t). Covered in The Age, The SMH, The Brisbane Times, and spotlighted on The Project, this topic has certainly struck a chord.?

Research findings

“I feel like dads taking leave is becoming more recognised as being necessary. However, there is still a stigma associated with men taking time off for a caring role.”

That’s the voice of one of the dads in our latest research in collaboration with Lifestyle Communities.?We surveyed 400 Dads and this is what they told us:

We know that dads — especially younger dads – want to take parental leave but face societal, cultural and workplace barriers.

We also know when businesses do support dads to take parental leave, they see improved talent acquisition and retention, greater employee satisfaction, and enhanced productivity to name a few.

So, how do we change the culture around men taking paid parental leave?

Aussie dads account for only 13% of all primary carers leave taken, which shows that Australia still has a long way to go to embed long-term social and cultural change that actively supports and encourages fathers to take parental leave.??

Now, it’s time for organisations to step up. But how?

Our report answers this and so much more, including key actions organisations can implement to increase the take up of parental leave by dads.?

How Ashurst boosted dads taking parental leave by 50%

Take global law firm, Ashurst for example.?Ashurst has introduced a gender-equitable Global Parental Leave Policy that has already had a significant impact on take up rates by dads, talent attraction and retention, and general improvement of employees’ working life.

Their market-leading policy includes:

• 26 weeks fully paid leave;
• No distinction between primary/secondary and maternity/paternity;
• Inclusion of surrogacy, foster and kinship care; and?
• Legal staff to have a three-month reduction in chargeable hours targets when they return from extended parental leave to support their transition back to work.

“In the year after Ashurst introduced its gender-neutral FamilyCare parental leave principles, the firm saw a 31% increase in parental leavers, including a 53% increase in non-birth parents, largely men, taking parental leave.”?Andrea Bell, Chief People Officer, Ashurst

Ready to improve the uptake of parental leave by dads in your organisation? Download ‘The Fatherhood Trap’ here.

Real dads bucking the trend and normalising men taking extended leave from work

It’s such an important topic, so we dug a little deeper in our recent webinar.

We brought five dads together to hear about their experiences of parental leave and the positive impact this had on their families and their careers.?

“It's not about just allowing time. It's the culture and the mindset of your managers and your colleagues around you. Do I have the social permission to take such a long period of time away from work without it affecting my career? And for me, the answer was a resounding yes, and that was pioneered by other managers and seeing them do it.” Dean Whitehouse, Service Delivery Manager, Grant Thornton.

Here are the top 3 takeaways:

1. Dads want to take parental leave to connect with their children but also to support their partners.
2. Parental leave is an issue that women have faced for decades. Encouraging dads to take parental leave reduces the stigma around male caregivers and promotes gender equality.
3. Parental leave is fast becoming a top priority for talent, so workplaces need to consider their entitlements and the ways they normalize dads taking parental leave. This visibility needs to start from the top.

Catch up on this powerful webinar here.

Speak to our team

Keen to learn why companies like Coca-Cola, Estee Lauder Companies, and EnergyAustralia trust us to support their caregivers? We would love to show you.?Get in touch with the team?today to discuss how we can partner with you to attract and retain your top talent.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about Circle In, feel free to send an email to?[email protected].

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