We learn more about HCF’s family-friendly initiatives and policies aimed at supporting parents and carers, thanks to our partnership with Family Friendly Workplaces.
Angela Wilcox remembers the “treadmill” of school and childcare drop-offs well, and personally knows the value of anything that can ease the pressure of balancing a leadership career with family life.
She also knows parents have different levels of support available to them, whether that be through a partner, grandparents, friends or childcare. The necessary “village” it takes to raise a child does not look the same for everyone.
Now raising teenagers – which brings other challenges – Wilcox is the Chief Officer of People and Culture at HCF, a Family Friendly Workplaces certified workplace. It’s a position that has shown her how many opportunities exist for employers to play a part in supporting more parents to access their own village.
One big opportunity is in removing barriers to paid parental leave access. HCF has just updated their paid parental leave policy to offer 18 weeks to all new parents, regardless of whether they are “primary” or “secondary” carers.
Rising from a previous policy of 15 weeks for primary carers, this latest change makes the expanded benefit available to all employees who bring a new child into their lives; through birth, adoption, surrogacy, or permanent kinship or foster care.
It’s available from day one on the job and superannuation contributions are also importantly made on both paid and unpaid leave for up to 52 weeks for all new parents.
Wilcox says these shifts are a huge win for the employee experience, particularly in ensuring a fairer and more flexible approach is offered, and they ultimately support the business in attracting and retaining talent.
“Changing that eligibility period particularly was huge,” she tells Women’s Agenda.
“We were seeing really great talent coming in but then not being able to access that leave simply because they hadn’t been here long enough, even though it would ultimately make them more productive and happier at work.”
Also game-changing in this latest shift is the introduction of grandparents’ leave, giving grandparents up to five days of leave to help care for their new grandchildren.
And HCF has introduced up to five days of paid leave for pregnancy loss, acknowledging the challenges and difficult period those families who experience this loss face.
Meanwhile, the health insurer continues to offer the popular KidsCo program, first launched in partnership with Parents At Work during the pandemic to provide safe, virtual social activities for children aged five to 12. The program, provided by qualified educators now continues during the school holidays giving parents additional support to help juggle their work and family priorities.
HCF has also made a digital Work and Family Hub available, provided by Parents at Work, with access to their Care Services Marketplace. This provides their employees with access to source a range of care solutions including babysitters, nannies, tutors, and NDIS care workers.
With flexibility in sharp focus, and HCF currently considering how they can offer further opportunities, particularly for their frontline workers, the evolved family-friendly initiatives help to foster the “village” required to support families.
As a member organisation, Wilcox says HCF sees this change as an opportunity to take a leading stance on promoting a family-friendly Australia, and again promote the necessity of the village everywhere.
“When we had the discussion with our senior leadership team, we talked about employee impact, member and community impact. Only when we get a critical mass of employers pushing the boundaries do you get that societal change. It’s important we’re demonstrating that as an employer,” Wilcox said.
HCF became a family inclusive certified employer in 2021. It was through the certification process that Wilcox says they were able to undertake a comprehensive review to see what they were doing well and address opportunities for improvement.. One such improvement was the opportunity to promote shared care at home.
“This is about making it fair. Normalising it for both men and women to take parental leave, to work flexibly, to have those opportunities to be home with their families. And to better share the care and the mental load.”
Being supported by a “village” – be it friends, other family members, grandparents or your local community – makes a real difference to parents and carers, and consequently to those they care for. Also, this village ultimately enables more workplace gender equality and women’s workforce participation.
From Wilcox’s own experience in raising young children, she notes the support she had from her partner who took time off from his career during that period, as well as support from her own parents.
“It meant less emphasis on the traditional dynamic, we set the foundations early on that made our lives easier. And it did enable me to pursue my career in ways I may not have otherwise been able to do,” she said.
“I’m aware I’ve been lucky to have those direct supports. But I’m always mindful that there are women who don’t have that. Single parents, immigrants, women facing financial hardship and other challenging situations. It can be so hard for them to get help and support, that’s where these sorts of employer policies can help make a very practical difference.”
Check out more from our series profiling family-friendly certified employers here.