Advancing Paid Parental Leave and Flexibility in the Workplace

WGEA has created this guide to help employers advance paid parental leave and flexibility arrangements in the workplace.

Promoting men’s take up of paid parental leave and flexible work is critical to advancing workplace gender equality and closing the gender pay gap. 

The take up of paid parental leave and flexible working arrangements is an indicator of how the care of children is being shared between parents and guardians of different genders. 

Currently, parenthood affects the career progression of women, and consequently, their pay, more than it affects men’s. This is a large driver of Australia’s gender pay gap.  

Paid Parental Leave 

Only 17% of primary carer’s parental leave is taken by men in Australia. Despite this, many Australian men have reported they would like to take parental leave. In one study, three in four men said they would like to have taken more leave than they took. 

Everyone benefits from actively supporting men to take up paid parental leave. 

Men have the opportunity to spend more time fulfilling their roles as fathers, carers and partners, with research suggesting it enhances their life satisfaction, and benefits a child’s development. 

Women enjoy greater workforce participation and a more equal distribution of caring.  

Employers are able to attract and retain talent. A 2016 study of more than 1,500 employers found that more than 80% reported a positive impact on morale and productivity with paid parental leave entitlements. 

And research suggests it’s good for the economy, boosting gross domestic product (GDP) by $900 million a year, through increased women’s workforce participation. 

Flexible working arrangements

While men use some forms of flexible work, they are much less likely than women to use others, such as part-time working arrangements. 

Increasingly, men that are seeking the ability to work flexibly, often to play a more active role as caregivers. 

Women and men are both more likely to shortlist job advertisements that mention flexibility, compared to those offering full-time work without any mention of flexibility. 

A significant portion of people who want flexibility don’t ask for it, citing fears it will jeopardise their job security or the employer will refuse. 

A significant barrier to men taking up flexible working arrangements is the “ideal worker” norm of being dedicated to their job without outside distractions. 

This guide, for human resources teams and diversity and inclusion professionals, includes a range of practical strategies to support employers to facilitate flexible work and paid parental leave arrangements in contemporary workplaces.