With an ageing population, rising rates of chronic illness and disability, and increasing mental health challenges, more Australians are balancing work with caring responsibilities than ever before.  Yet many employees don’t see themselves as carers or fear the stigma of identifying as one, which means their support needs can go unseen and unmet. 

 

AGL is seeking to change that. Through a considered, data-informed approach, the company is identifying and supporting carers within its workforce and embedding frameworks to help them feel recognised and supported. 

 

Endorsing and championing this work is Suzanne Falvi, AGL’s Executive General Manager of Corporate Affairs and Executive Sponsor of the company’s Carers Network. Suzanne’s personal experience as an elder carer shaped her passion for raising the visibility of carers at work. 

 

“Anyone can be a carer and yet many people don’t see themselves as one. I didn’t at first either,” she explains. “I’m passionate about supporting employees with different caring responsibilities and bringing visibility to their critical role in our workforce and society.” 

 

AGL’s journey to better understand its carer community began with a rethink of how it collected diversity and inclusion (D&I) data. The company decided to move away from biennial anonymous D&I surveys which had low uptake.  Instead diversity questions, including caring responsibilities, were embedded directly into its HR system. 

 

This shift has helped build a clearer picture of the workforce. Today, more than 65% of employees voluntarily share diversity data, compared to 41% in 2022. The data shows that 36% of AGL’s workforce have caring responsibilities and 34% of these care for someone other than a child, up from 24% in 2022. 

 

“Data and insights are critical,” says Suzanne. “They help us understand trends, build the business case for change, and ensure our policies are hitting the mark.” 

 

These insights are shaping how AGL supports carers, including: 

 

• Informing policies – data has helped build the business case for changes such as parental leave and will inform AGL’s next Carers Action Plan.

 

• Tailoring initiatives – insights guide the Carers Committee’s programs, from guest speakers to wellbeing resources, designed to meet carers’ practical and emotional needs. 

 

• Raising awareness – demographic data is used to start conversations, shape internal storytelling, and normalise caring responsibilities across the workforce. 

 

One flagship initiative is AGL’s annual Carers Week program, featuring guest speakers and employee stories to build understanding and resilience.

 

“Storytelling is incredibly valuable,” says Suzanne. “When people hear others share their experiences, it removes stigma and helps carers feel less alone.” 

 

As Executive Sponsor, Suzanne advocates for the Carers Network, aligns its work to AGL’s broader inclusion strategy, and ensures senior leaders champion the initiative. This top-level support has helped embed carers’ needs across other employee networks. 

 

AGL’s efforts are also supported through its role as a supporting sponsor of the Family Friendly Workplaces program, which provides a framework to help organisations build more family-inclusive policies. 

 

Looking ahead, Suzanne says AGL will continue to use data to understand the different identities that intersect with caring, and to explore new supports in collaboration with internal health, safety and wellbeing teams. 

 

“We’ll be using our upcoming Family Friendly Workplace review and data to inform our next Carers Action Plan,” she explains. “And we see initiatives from Parents At Work, such as the Work Life Wellbeing series, as important resources to support our carers.” 

 

Suzanne believes that combining data with open dialogue is key to cultural change. 

 

“Sharing data back to the workforce builds trust, accountability and belonging. It helps carers feel seen and it helps us make better, more inclusive decisions.” 

 

Through this approach, AGL is showing how employers can recognise and support employees with caring responsibilities – by helping them feel valued and able to thrive at work.