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Expanded pay, superannuation payments and long service leave accrual are some of the major new changes to Colliers’ parental leave policy in Australia.
An extensive consultation process informed the new employee benefits for both secondary and primary carers, which is evident by the attention to detail in major and minor changes.
Perhaps the biggest shift is the company’s move from a flat 14-weeks of parental pay for primary carers, to a tiered offering ranging from 14 weeks for those with between six months and two years of service, to 26 weeks for employees who have been with the company for more than five years.
Similarly, secondary carer paid leave now extends from between two and eight weeks depending on tenure.
Part of the firm’s commitment during this process was to reduce the wait time that an employee would be eligible to take paid leave, as it used to stand at 12 months. Now, all benefits begin after six months of service.
Additionally, the unpaid leave period that a person can take has been extended from 12 months to 24 months, and greater flexibility has been added to how leave is taken. For example, a secondary carer could opt to use one day of paid leave per week over a period of weeks if that’s what suits their family schedule.
Superannuation will now be paid on all periods of paid and update leave, and the firm has also decided to count 12 months of paid or unpaid leave towards a primary carer’s long service leave accrual.
To assist with primary carers’ transition back to work, the firm is also introducing a $250 flexible use voucher in the month that they return to use as they see fit. When planning their period of parental leave, employees are now given the option of specifying whether they would like to reach out to their manager to check in regarding their return-to-work plans, or have their manager reach out to them.
From the large changes to the small ones, the company was careful throughout this process to be informed by employees’ experiences with parental leave, as Liam Ovenden, regional director of people and performance for Colliers Asia Pacific, explained.
“Initial conversations started in February when we received a very well researched and compelling business case from one of our valued experts in our Project Leaders team. Following this initial proposal, we went through a very thorough consultation period within the business over the next three months, consulting many of our female experts – from leaders to revenue producers and our support teams – and our leadership teams,” he said.
Those at the top of the Australian network reportedly gave the project their full support throughout, as Ovenden said the company realised how important the policy would be in enacting some of its workforce goals.
“We are deeply committed to achieving more balanced gender representation in our senior market leader and people leader roles, and so keeping our experts beyond their family formation years is key to our strategy to close our gender pay gap and achieve a more inclusive workplace,” he said.
In addition, the company took feedback on board relating to the full process of planning for having a family, and decided to implement additional compassionate leave for fertility procedures, stillbirth and miscarriage.
To deal with the tragic experience of a stillbirth or miscarriage, employees are now offered 20 and 10 days of additional paid compassionate leave respectively. To undergo fertility treatments, they are eligible to take 10 days of compassionate leave – these are all on top of any statutory requirements.
No stranger to the data that shows the benefits that flow to companies with expansive parental leave policies, Colliers said that while part of its goal was to promote long tenures and diversify its workforce, the main aim in making these changes was simply “just doing what’s right”.
“Colliers’ core values are about doing what’s right with our people, clients and communities. Our culture leads to an environment where all people feel respected and empowered, regardless of background,” Ovenden said.
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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