Families Week is a time to celebrate the vital role families play in our lives, our communities and our workplaces. It’s an opportunity to reflect not only on what families need at home, but how the places we work can better support people to care, connect and thrive.
Across Australia, the way we live and work is evolving. The boundaries between work and family life continue to shift, bringing both new opportunities and new challenges.
Our 2024 National Working Families Survey found that 74% of women and 57% of men feel stressed balancing work and family commitments. For many, the juggle has become unsustainable with increased living costs, lack of accessibility to care and the toll it takes on their wellbeing. This is a business issue, it impacts productivity, engagement, turnover and culture.
But changing this reality is possible.
We can reimagine work in a way that recognises care as essential, not separate from how we design jobs, lead teams and measure success.
This is the opportunity the Family Friendly Workplaces movement is embracing: to create a future where work and family are not in competition, but in partnership.
And it’s working!
Family Friendly Workplaces began with a simple idea: that bridging the work and family divide is possible – we can design performing workplaces that care about their people, their community and their customers.
Today, that idea has become a national movement.
165+ workplaces certified, 754+ employers benchmarked and 890+ employers educated.
“This is not just a certification program. It’s a measurable shift in how organisations think about flexibility, parental leave, leadership accountability, and the wellbeing of their people.” – Emma Walsh, CEO, Parents At Work
What happens when workplaces get it right
- 97% of certified employers have a formal flexible work framework.
- Employees are 17% more likely to access flexible work.
- 65% of employees in certified workplaces rate their work-life balance positively, compared with 58% in non-certified organisations.
- Employees are almost 30% more likely to receive superannuation on paid parental leave.
- 96% of certified employers now have a formal domestic and family violence policy.
Why this matters for families
Family-friendly policies are, at their core, implemented to create more time and stability at home.
What employees from certified organisations tell us:
“It’s hard to find a business that supports you throughout your career, no matter your age or family structure, but I’m extremely grateful for the additional leave my workplace has implemented and proud to work in a business that offers these opportunities”
“Thanks to our grandparent leave, I will have access to five days of paid grandparental leave per grandchild to be there for my family. I’m looking forward to spending time with my future grandchildren, and knowing I have the opportunity to help out with taking care of them if my family needs it.”
“As a parent of a young child, the flexibility here has made a huge difference. I’m not expected to be in the office by 9 am every day, my mornings can be unpredictable. I can take time off as needed or leave the office early without guilt, and catch up on work later in the evening”
A turning point for the future of work
Care underpins workforce participation, retention and productivity.
“With sustained investment, Family Friendly Workplaces can support millions more Australians to remain engaged in paid work while caring for those who depend on them. The evidence is clear, the framework is proven, and the demand is growing.” – Emma Walsh, CEO, Parents At Work
Families Week: A call to action
Workplaces have the power to change lives. Because when work works for families, it works for everyone.
As we celebrate Families Week by embodying “Every Family, Everywhere,” it reminds us that supporting families is not a moment in time, but an ongoing commitment. By embedding inclusive, flexible and caring practices into the way we work, we can create a future where every family, no matter how they are defined, is seen, supported and able to thrive.
Download the Family Friendly Workplaces Impact Report
List of 2026 Certified Family Inclusive Workplaces™
| a2 Milk | JANA |
| Accenture | Karitane |
| Adica Insurance | KFC |
| AGL | KPMG Australia |
| APM | Leidos |
| APRA | Macquarie |
| Australian Financial Complaints Authority | Mallesons |
| Baker McKenzie | Mantel Group |
| Barry Nilsson | Marsh |
| Bartier Perry | McCullough Robertson |
| Bega Group | Medibank |
| BMS Risk Solutions Pty Ltd | Melbourne Airport |
| Built Holdings Pty Limited | Metcash Limited |
| Bunnings | Minderoo Foundation |
| carsales | Mirvac |
| Carter Newell | MSD |
| CatholicCare Sydney | NBCUniversal |
| CBRE | NBN Co |
| Challenger Limited | Netwealth Investments Limited |
| Charter Hall | Northern Trust Corp. |
| Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand | Norton Rose Fulbright |
| CHU Pty Ltd | Novartis |
| City of Sydney | NSW Ombudsman |
| Clayton Utz | NTT DATA |
| Coates | Oliver Wyman |
| Colin Biggers & Paisley | Peet Limited |
| Commonwealth Bank of Australia | PepsiCo Australia |
| Compass Group | Pernod Ricard Australia |
| Core Projects | Pexa |
| Coulter Legal | Pharmacor |
| Craveable Brands Ltd | Pinnacle Investment Management |
| Cube Group | Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd |
| CyberCX | Publicis |
| Daiichi Sankyo Company | PVH Brands Australia |
| Deloitte | PwC |
| Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) | QBE |
| Dyson Limited | QIC |
| Endeavour Energy | Queensland Education Department |
| Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) | Randstad Australia |
| Equifax Pty Limited | Real Asset Management and Brighten Home Loans |
| Essential Energy | RES Australia Pty Ltd |
| Evolve Housing | RSM |
| Fortem | RWE |
| Gadens | Sanofi |
| Genea | Sodexo Australia |
| Gilchrist Connell | Squire Patton Boggs (AU) |
| Steadfast Group | |
| GPT Management Holdings Limited | Suncorp |
| GrainCorp Limited | Swietelsky |
| Grant Thornton Australia Ltd | Sydney Airport |
| Guide Dogs NSW/ACT | Sydney Water Corporation |
| HCF Australia | Symbos |
| HESTA | The Construction Training Centre |
| HQPlantations | The Healing Foundation |
| ICD Property | The NRMA |
| IFM Investors | Transport for NSW |
| IKEA | Trinity Grammar School |
| Inaburra School | UNICEF Australia |
| Inchcape Australia Limited | Urbis |
| Infomedia | VFMC |
| Infrastructure Australia | Viva Energy |
| ING | Volvo Car Australia |
| Ingram Micro Inc. | Wannon Water |
| Insignia Financial | Water Technology Pty Ltd |
| Insurance Australia Group (IAG) | Workday |
| Investa Management Pty Ltd | Wotton + Kearney |
| ISPT Operations Pty Ltd | Zurich Financial Services Australia |
