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One real estate office is making strides to bridge the superannuation gap by offering a lump sum super payment to carers who take time off for parental leave.
Laing+Simmons’ north-west Sydney outfit in Bella Vista and Glenwood has implemented a policy: to pay employees taking unpaid parental leave the equivalent superannuation to what they would have earned had they not taken time off.
It’s an attempt to make up for some of the disparity in accumulated superannuation between men and women in Australia due to the fact that women are more likely to take time away from work or transition to part-time to care for children.
Sam Dalby, principal of Laing+Simmons Bella Vista|Glenwood, said the office felt a responsibility to make inroads in addressing this inequality.
“This policy is our way of contributing to the resolution of a much larger issue and to ensure we support everyone in our team in a fair and respectful way,” Mr Dalby said.
“We see this as the next step in a much larger, ongoing process, which seeks to continually build an even more caring environment for everyone in our business, and an environment which supports everyone’s personal and professional growth,” he added.
Jacqui Barnes, Laing+Simmons new head of people and culture, highlighted the importance of the policy and shared how it resonated on a personal level.
“I have three children and despite relatively short periods of maternity leave, the gap between my super and my husband’s is significant,” Ms Barnes said.
“It is a testament to our Bella Vista|Glenwood office to not only be aware of the impact this can have on women, but to actively take steps to reduce that disadvantage.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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