Aussie Broadband changes the game again with an industry-leading parental leave policy!

Aussie Broadband is proud to announce a complete overhaul of its parental leave policy, which will vastly improve the quality of life for expectant Aussie Broadband parents by significantly expanding the amount of available paid leave for primary and secondary carers.

Under the new policy, Aussie Broadband staffers will be able to access up to 26 weeks of fully paid parental leave regardless of whether they are the primary or secondary carer. Employees will also be able to take double the leave at half pay, and Aussie Broadband will make superannuation contributions at either full rate or half rate dependent on the leave taken.

As part of Aussie Broadband’s mission to be good to people, the new policy has been designed to be more accessible. Staffers will be eligible for the leave as soon as they complete their probation, whereas the previous parental leave policy was only accessible after a year of employment. Aussie Broadband will also include all staff on parental leave in salary reviews with full bonuses, depending on performance.

The policy is available to Aussie Broadband staffers from today, although the company has already begun work to expand its offering to new parents. Later this year, Aussie Broadband will introduce 5 days paid leave for new grandparents, 10 days paid miscarriage leave, improved processes for parents returning to work, more flexible working arrangements for parents with children under 2 years old, and an increase in the number of external resources provided by Aussie to new parents.

Aussie Broadband believes that one of the most powerful tools for closing the gender gap is through a strong, equitable parental leave policy that allows new parents to spend the time where they need it most — with their family. Studies in Switzerland and Norway found that more equitable parental leave for both carers results in a reduction in career interruptions for both partners, while also enabling better work-life balance for the family as a whole.

Only 8.4 per cent of male-identifying managers currently take primary carers leave in Australia, according to research from the Workplace Gender Equity Agency. That number drops to 4.6 per cent of male-identifying staffers in non-management positions. An expansion in parental leave for secondary carers has also been linked to fewer career interruptions for women and improved workplace participation. This will also help tackle the lower superannuation for female staffers that is often seen when newly mothers take time away from the workplace to care for a new child.

Quotes:

Jane Betts, Aussie Broadband’s Chief Reputation and People Officer said:

“When we looked at our mission to Be Good To People, we realised that our original parental policy fell well short of the mark.

“The new policy is not only much more in line with what Australians expect from companies in 2023, but it’s just simply better,” Jane said. “We weren’t happy with just coming up to industry standard — we wanted to make sure that Aussie Broadband staffers were truly looked after. That meant we had to create a policy that was as world-class as our broadband service, so that’s exactly what we did.”

James Smith, Aussie Broadband’s Inclusion and Diversity Officer said:

“A huge advantage with the new policy is the improved access for secondary carers. By offering equity across primary and secondary carers, it makes life much simpler for new parents trying to plan ahead. The simplicity also makes the policy easier to access, which tackles one of the biggest challenges facing staff going on paternity leave: accessing the leave you’re entitled to.”

Liam Stallbaum, Aussie Broadband Inbound Sales Consultant said:

“The new parental leave policy has truly been a game changer for my family. It gives me more time to bond with my child and helps me with being more hands-on as a father and supportive as a husband.”