When AustralianSuper asked their employees in a recent survey if their flexible work arrangements allowed them to balance their work and home life, 94% of their team said ‘Yes’. This is a 5% increase on last year and puts AustralianSuper 14% higher than average. This is certainly something worth celebrating.
Another reason to celebrate is that AustralianSuper has been awarded WORK180’s Flex Able Certification for the second year in a row. This certification is awarded to employers who demonstrate that they meet a set of criteria and that they truly walk the talk when it comes to flexible working. So, what is the secret behind AustralianSuper’s success?
AustralianSuper has a guiding philosophy of ‘members first’. And this philosophy has been extended to all their employees as well. They know that when they look after their employees, their employees look after their business and their members. One of the ways that AustralianSuper demonstrates how much they value the person and not just their output, is to have embedded flexible working in everything that they do.
“Candidates talk about flexible working up front, during the interview process. This is not something that comes with tenure, but is just part of how things are done at AustralianSuper. The option of discussing flexible work is available to all employees, men and women, to allow everyone to flourish, at home and at work.” says Resourcing Manager Jake Pickard.
To enable this culture to remain strong, AustralianSuper have developed a range of two hour training sessions on topics such as unconscious bias, flexible working and diversity & inclusion. They are focused sessions with real world outcomes that do not impact too much on people’s busy work days.
Because they have managed to create a strong team, people taking parental leave are sorely missed. Instead of taking a “glass half empty” approach, The HR team use this as a catalyst to work closely with the business leader to develop a flexible or part time role that enables the employee to get back to work as easily as possible in a mutually beneficial timeframe.
“AustralianSuper know how valuable their employees are. And they know that it is much better to enable flexible work arrangements, than it is to recruit again and again.” Says Christina Smerdon, Chief Flex Enabler at WORK180.
All these big and small actions taken by AustralianSuper over the last few years have culminated in some great improvements according to their employees who are now able to balance family and life more successfully. Congratulations AustralianSuper on achieving the Flex Able Certification for the second year in a row!
About the Flex Able Certification
Flexible working is not just for mothers returning to work but for those with other caring commitments, health reasons, sporting interests, people looking for an alternative to retirement and those pursuing side projects. Companies with the most engaged workforces offer flexibility and are focused on creating an inclusive culture where the reason for needing flexibility does not matter.
But how can you tell which employer is truly walking the talk when it comes to offering flexible work? WORK180’s Flex Able Certification helps job seekers know what companies place a strong focus on flexibility in addition to being an employer of choice for women.
Learn more about the Flex Able Certification here.
Flex Able Certified Employers include:
About AustralianSuper 
AustralianSuper is an Endorsed Employer for Women. This is the second year in a row they receive the Flex Able Certification. Interestingly, they were awarded the Flex Able certification despite not having a stand alone policy.
AustralianSuper offer:
- Paid superannuation whilst on unpaid parental leave + of course during paid leave
- 14 Weeks paid parental leave to primary carers/4 paid weeks for secondary carers
- Breastfeeding rooms
- WGEA Pay Equity Ambassador
Plus much more on their Best Employer page.
About WORK180
WORK180 is an international jobs network that connects smart businesses with the very best female talent. We pre-screen every employer on our jobs board to see where they stand on pay equity, flexible working, paid parental leave, equal opportunities and a range of other criteria. We also take into account diversity initiatives focusing on age, ability, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
The information we uncover is made public on our website, so that everyone knows what to expect from each employer before applying for a job. We continually review and evolve our pre-screening criteria to ensure workplaces are fair and equal for everyone.