We absolutely expected there to be amazing stories from fabulous, supportive employers, and we also expected to hear from women who had been treated unfairly. What we perhaps did not expect, was the number of men and women who shared with us, so openly and honestly, truly appalling stories. Stories that made us ask the question – as a society, have we really progressed at all when it comes to how we treat expecting and new parents in the workplace?
We understand that in business, redundancies sometimes happen, but are we treating expecting and new parents fairly in this process? It is the role that is redundant, or are employers making downsizing decisions based on which person is easiest to let go – such as a woman that is about to take 12 months leave?
In the last week alone, FlexCareers has spoken to numerous women that have been made to feel so guilty at being an ‘inconvenience’, that they have felt forced to resign. Others have been shamelessly bullied out of the business, or refused any sort of flexibility to balance new parenthood with returning to work. The list goes on.
This survey seeks to explore how parents are treated in the workplace. We want to hear what organisations are doing well, and we want to uncover what is not going well. If you have welcomed a baby, and navigated the ups and downs of pregnancy and/or parental leave and returning to work, we would love to hear from you.
1,000 men and women have already participated in our research, and already organisations are taking note – we can do better! All responses will be confidential and if you would like to chat to us more about your experiences, then there is an option to do so in the survey. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you for supporting our research on this important topic. Please share this with your social and professional networks. We hope to inspire those who have had poor experiences and let them know there are good employers out there. We also know there exist some unfavourable practices, and the more voices – the more action!
We look forward to sharing the results of the survey. Please be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for further information and updates. If you would like to share your story with us, please contact marketing@flexcareers.com.au