Gilchrist Connell celebrates becoming a certified Family Friendly Workplace this Australian National Families Week

Leading Australian insurance sector law firm, Gilchrist Connell, has achieved recognition as a Family Inclusive Workplace by Family Friendly Workplaces following significant expansion of its benefits for its employees.

Family Friendly Workplaces is a joint initiative of Parents at Work and UNICEF Australia striving to reduce the tension that exists between work and family to recognising employers who genuinely support employees to thrive and work at home.

Family Friendly Workplaces measured Gilchrist Connell’s policies, practices and promotion frameworks against six core areas of focus within the UNICEF Australia endorsed National Work + Family Standards: Flexible Work; Parental Leave; Family Care; Family Wellbeing; Leadership Culture; and Measurement.

Gilchrist Connell recognises that work forms only part of our employees’ life and its human-centred approach featured well before it became a fashionable phrase amongst HR circles and has been key to the firm’s significant growth over the last two years. Most recently, in September 2022, the firm overhauled its suite of family friendly policies, enhancing its Parental Leave policy and introducing a Fertility Treatment Leave Policy. This suite of policies:

• Increases paid parental leave allowance from 14 to 26 weeks, including parents of children born by surrogate or who are adopted, and parents who have a stillborn child. This policy is able to be accessed by casual employees and there is no service requirement to access the leave.
• Includes access to 20 days paid leave for any employee whose pregnancy terminates before 20 weeks as well as 5 days leave for a non-carrying parent.
• Continues our habit of paying superannuation during paid and unpaid parental leave periods and salary increases awarded during parental leave result in pay being adjusted for the remaining period of parental leave.
• Introduces a new Fertility Treatment Leave Policy provides leave allowances for employees undergoing fertility treatment and employees supporting a family member undergoing fertility treatment.

These policies can be accessed by all employees regardless of gender. Any employees  already on parental leave had their benefits adjusted to align with the new allowance.

Employees have responded positively, congratulating and thanking the firm for acknowledging the needs of families in all forms. One Senior Associate commented, “the entitlements give me the flexibility to be a carer for an extended period.“

Managing Principal Richard Wood said of Gilchrist Connell’s recognition, “Over the last 12 months we have continued to invest in a vital area of our business: our people. I am proud of what the firm has achieved in this area but most importantly, on the impact it has had, and continues to have, for our people.”

About Gilchrist Connell

Gilchrist Connell is a leading insurance sector law firm that operates across all Australian jurisdictions from its five offices. The firm’s fresh approach to legal services sets it apart. With a genuine “people first” approach and inclusive culture, Gilchrist Connell delivers rewarding careers that offer real work-life balance and flexibility. For the last three years, Gilchrist Connell has been recognised by Australasian Lawyer as an Employer of Choice.

Gilchrist Connell is trusted by clients across Australia to provide commercial advice and representation. The team of over 140 lawyers advises insurers, brokers, underwriting agencies, self-insureds, insureds and businesses operating nationally and internationally across all lines of insurance. We also provide employment, WHS, restructuring and insolvency, corporate and commercial advice, and front-end solutions, to businesses, including the insurance sector, at all stages of their life cycle.

Member of The Harmonie Group An international network of independent law firms.

 

                  

© Gilchrist Connell 2023

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Legal Practitioners employed by and the directors of Gilchrist Connell Pty Ltd are members of the scheme.