The study was conducted by private health insurer HBF’s Direct Advice for Dads website and research firm CoreData.
The research analysed the largest 500 Australian organisations by revenue to identify workplaces that are leading the way with dad-friendly policies, including parental leave, flexible work and other benefits. Macquarie University was ranked number seven, and the only university in the study’s top ten.
“Macquarie has always been at the forefront of parents and carers leave provisions,” says Nicole Gower, Vice-President, People and Services. “We aim to be progressive and innovative in recognising and supporting the different ways that staff of all genders can have families. This includes encouraging and supporting dads to take the time they need to spend with their family.”
The study concludes that broadening the definition of ‘family member’, ‘partner’ and ‘parent’ to ensure maximum inclusivity has led to more dads accessing parental leave as primary carers. Research data showed that over 92 per cent of dads who took partner’s leave also took advantage of paid primary carer’s leave.
At the University, the definition of family members includes children, adult children, adopted children, foster-children or stepchildren. Spouse or partner includes same-sex partner, de facto partner, or former spouse or partner. A parent can be an in-law, a foster-parent, grandparent, or sibling, or anyone in a bona fide domestic or household relationship with a staff member – whether in a dependency or support role.
Macquarie offers a generous parental leave policy, with 14 weeks of paid parental leave for full-time staff on commencement of employment. An additional 12 weeks of paid parental leave is available when the staff member has completed more than one year of continuous service.
“We’re extremely proud to have been recognised for the provisions we offer to primary carers and the positive impact that these have on our workforce,” says Ms Gower. “We’re also proud to be the first university to offer surrogacy leave to those acting as a surrogate, that all primary carers have the right to return to work part-time for up to two years, and that our policies are inclusive of LGBTIQ+ members of our staff community.”
Macquarie University Senior Lecturer Mauricio Marrone and his family