Australian law firm Gadens has enhanced its paid parental leave policy to offer its 326 Melbourne-based staff up to six months of paid leave.
The new paid parental leave policy forms part of Gadens’ strategic goal of being an employer of choice, and aims to support the retention and progression of female employees.
The enhanced policy, which was introduced in August 2016, enables a parent who is a primary carer for a child to take up to 26 weeks of paid leave. It sits alongside other flexible working arrangements, such as flexibility upon returning from parental leave, flexible working hours, job shares, part-time working arrangements, a holiday purchase scheme, and home working.
More than 20% of partners at the law firm, which employs a total of 1,283 staff across Australia, Singapore and Papa New Guinea, have a flexible working arrangement.
Grant Scott-Hayward (pictured), chief executive officer at Gadens, said: “We support and help our people, including in relation to workplace flexibility to balance work and their personal lives. Our new parental leave policy reinforces this. Aside from supporting diversity, our new policy will also help promote the retention of female staff to partnership and other senior roles.
“We acknowledge the continued commitment and loyalty of our people to Gadens and our clients, and we actively support their family responsibilities through providing these types of benefits. This also reflects our very friendly and collaborative culture.”