At Multiplex we are committed to enabling people to balance their work and family life whilst having a fulfilling a rewarding career. We know that when people are encouraged to find a balance that is right for them, they are able to thrive. Our policies and practices are inclusive of all family configurations and provide employees with choices when it comes to caring for their families.
Multiplex is committed to advancing gender equality within the construction industry and more broadly, and being a family friendly workplace will support this change. We don’t want men to miss out on opportunities to play a greater role with caring responsibilities, and we want all people to be encouraged to make choices that are right for them and their family. By becoming a family friendly accredited workplace, we are making it clear that Multiplex is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where people can bring their whole selves to work every day, and embrace a healthy work life balance.
We have an industry leading, gender neutral parental leave policy and support policy. Our policies and practices are designed to normalise and encourage parental leave for all parents, and provide support for parents transitioning to and from leave.
Examples of Multiplex initiatives that support parents include:
The implementation of our workplace flexibility program has also had a hugely positive impact on our working families. Industry norms in the construction sector mean that some people are still working six day weeks and long hours, which makes working in this sector untenable for some employees because of the lack of workplace flexibility and the impact on families. Therefore flexibility at Multiplex has been key for us in creating an inclusive workplace and changing industry norms.
Through the implementation of these family friendly policies and practices designed to support parents, we have seen an increase in the number of men accessing parental leave with the ability for families to share parenting responsibilities more equally. Their feedback demonstrates the positive impact on family life, in addition to contributing to their engagement and motivation at work. We have also seen a positive shift in our attraction and retention of women.
Being a family inclusive organization fosters a more engaged and productive workforce and contributes significantly to attracting and retaining talent. More broadly, it is shifting attitudes around the equal share of caring responsibilities, and ultimately advancing gender equality.
Dan Maloney, a Project Manager in Victoria took four months of primary carers leave to look after his daughter, Frankie.
“I had a few hesitations at first,” says Dan. “Coming up from my early days in construction, there were still some stereotypes around taking parental leave in my head. As a Project Manager on one of our biggest projects in Victoria at the time, I was also concerned how it might impact the job.
“Ultimately those concerns were unfounded. My manager immediately told me to go for it and worked with me to minimise any impacts on the project, and the team was equally supportive.”
Dan says ultimately the experience was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend time with his daughter.
“As well as strengthening my relationship with Frankie, the experience gave me a greater appreciation for the role of the primary carer,” says Dan. “You think you know what the primary carer at home does, but you don’t really understand the continuous work that goes into a full day of looking after a child until you do it yourself. It has really helped us share the load at home now we’re both back at work.
“I definitely feel like it’s becoming more accepted and normal for men to not only take parental leave, but to be able to prioritise your family and be home when you need to as well.”
“Being a family inclusive workplace is crucial to Multiplex realising the full potential of its people. Beyond the obvious benefit to parents, having family friendly strategies in place reduces business costs related to recruitment, retraining and restructuring; widens the talent pool; increases organisational productivity and performance; and improves organisational reputation. At Multiplex our approach to family support goes far beyond our legal obligations. We implement policies and practices that support our employees regardless of gender or personal commitments, and provide them with choices when it comes to caring for their families. Becoming accredited as a family inclusive workplace is important to Multiplex as it will help us to continually evolve our strategy.”
