Announcing the 2025 List of Certified Family-Friendly Employers
It’s National Families Week and we’re recognising the employers who are officially certified as a Family Inclusive Workplace™. Since 2021, more than 650 organisations have taken the first step toward being a family-friendly employer by benchmarking their workplace policies and practices in line with the Global Work + Family Standards. Since then, the […]
How Family Friendly is the Energy and Resource Sector?
From mining and engineering to tech and media, can employers in fast-changing industries grappling with both global and local challenges really function as family friendly workplaces? In a special podcast series produced by Family Friendly Workplaces and Women’s Agenda, we will step into different sectors in Australia to spotlight the challenges working parents face […]
How Sodexo Australia is Leading Family-Inclusive Workplace Change in Energy and Resources
Family-friendly policies often aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the energy and resources industry. But as the pressures of remote rosters, talent shortages, and rising burnout reach a crisis, that’s starting to change – and some employers are leading the charge. With more than 5,000 employees across Australia, […]
Flexible Work Requests: Why Following the Right Process Matters More Than Ever
The recent Fair Work Commission (FWC) Full Bench decision has sent a strong reminder to employers across Australia: when it comes to flexible work requests, process is everything. In this landmark case, an employer’s refusal of a flexible work request was overruled — not because the request itself was unreasonable, but because the employer failed […]
Why family-friendly workplaces are a business imperative employers can’t afford to ignore
Balancing the competing needs of productivity, flexibility, and sustainability has never been more important, and the stakes have never been higher. The needs of today’s workforce are rapidly evolving, and among the most critical shifts is the growing demand for flexibility, cost-of-living relief, and a greater focus on care, health, and wellbeing. As Australia’s […]
How Workplace Barriers for Fathers Reinforce Gender Inequality
A recent Fair Work Commission ruling in Australia has underscored the importance of family-friendly workplaces—and how denying fathers flexibility entrenches gender inequality. In this case, first reported by AFR’s David Marin-Guzman, a Freight and Logistics Services Australia employee sought an additional work-from-home (WFH) day every second week to care for his 18-month-old child. His wife […]
Gender Equality Isn’t Just Fair, It’s Profitable: Why Family-Friendly Workplace Policies Matter
The data is clear: Workplaces that prioritise gender equality see higher productivity, better profitability, and stronger employee engagement. Yet, despite growing awareness and legislative support, many employers still fail to address the key drivers of workplace inequality, including outdated policies on caregiving and flexibility. A recent report by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency […]
Is Your Company’s Lack of Family-Friendly Policies Widening the Gender Gap?
Setting the Stage: The Urgency of Workplace Reform Our latest event brought together two leaders – Annika Freyer, CEO of the Champions of Change Coalition, and Emma Walsh, CEO of Parents At Work and Founder of Family Friendly Workplaces. The discussion explored how businesses can drive systemic change by embedding family-inclusive policies that foster gender equality, […]
Why Family-Friendly Workplaces Are the Key to Supporting the ‘Sandwich Generation’
The modern workplace is at a crossroads. As Bernard Salt highlights in The Australian, the so-called “Sandwich Generation” – those juggling careers while caring for both elderly parents and dependent children – is growing. And frighteningly, it’s growing at a rapid pace in which Australia is under-prepared for. “Australia is facing a demographic time […]
Is the Legal Sector Finally Becoming More Family-Friendly?
For decades now, women have outnumbered men in law schools around the country, but in 2024, men continue to dominate the legal sector’s leadership positions. That’s despite the sector seeing significant changes in how legal work is carried out, including remote work, evolving tech and artificial intelligence and the move to outsourcing. However, […]
