Table 1: Establishing the foundations for success: Getting your policies and systems in place What How Examples Think big picture: Know your legal Utilise existing resources understanding responsibilities as a and advice from ‘what’ and business; understand government and industry ‘why’ and communicate the peak bodies; reasons; approach the communicate policy and pregnancy and parental procedures; promote leave process as a awareness and continuum understanding. Lead the way: Role Ensure that senior Senior leaders vocally modelling behaviour leaders in the champion the value of organisation are vocal pregnant employees and and visibly committed employees on return to work; senior leaders vocally support and model flexible work arrangements. Get the right policies Ensure that policies Education and coaching in place: regarding pregnancy, for managers and Establishing parental leave and return employees; review of all effective programs to work, are decisions on dismissal or comprehensive, effective redundancy while an and in line with your employee is pregnant, legal responsibilities on parental leave or on return to work; flexible work policies; employer funded parental leave (for primary and secondary carers); employer funded early childhood education and care options; special measures to accelerate change. Track success: Gain a clear Regular audits of Monitoring and understanding of the retention rates; regular Evaluating policies state of implementation surveys and
Table 1: Establishing the foundations for success: Getting your policies and systems in place What How Examples Think big picture: understanding ‘what’ and ‘why’ Know your legal responsibilities as a business; understand and communicate the reasons; approach the pregnancy and parental leave process as a continuum Utilise existing resources and advice from government and industry peak bodies; communicate policy and procedures; promote awareness and understanding. Lead the way: Role modelling behaviour Ensure that senior leaders in the organisation are vocal and visibly committed Senior leaders vocally champion the value of pregnant employees and employees on return to work; senior leaders vocally support and model flexible work arrangements. Get the right policies in place: Establishing effective programs Ensure that policies regarding pregnancy, parental leave and return to work, are comprehensive, effective and in line with your legal responsibilities Education and coaching for managers and employees; review of all decisions on dismissal or redundancy while an employee is pregnant, on parental leave or on return to work; flexible work policies; employer funded parental leave (for primary and secondary carers); employer funded early childhood education and care options; special measures to accelerate change. Track success: Monitoring and Evaluating policies Gain a clear understanding of the state of implementation Regular audits of retention rates; regular surveys and