FlexCareers partner Viva Energy becomes first Australian company to pay full super benefit to part-time parents for five years

FlexCareers employer partner Viva Energy Australia has become the first company in Australia to offer employees a full-time superannuation payment of 12% base salary for up to five years during unpaid parental leave and part-time work periods.

Viva Energy CEO, Scott Wyatt, said he was immensely proud of the new policy and called on corporate Australia to look at ways that they can help parents – particularly women – to overcome systemic financial disadvantage in retirement as a result of taking time out of the workforce to have children.

“While the new policy applies equally to men and women, we know it will make a lifetime’s difference to the retirement savings of female employees who traditionally take extended time off to have children and often return to work part time,” said Scott.

As a Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Pay Equity Ambassador, Scott has pledged to encourage other business leaders to recognise the importance of pay equity and hopes that Viva’s new policy inspires other businesses to be innovative in working on the challenge within their own companies if a gap exists.

Besides being the right thing to do, investing in the future of employees also makes sound business sense, “It provides another incentive to attract and retain high-performing staff while enabling them to manage work-life responsibilities across an extended period”, Scott says.

“Our company has always taken a leading position on superannuation as an important strategic element of our remuneration and have paid 12% of base salary for nearly 20 years, well above the government mandated rates.”

Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Director, Libby Lyons, strongly supports Viva Energy’s policy initiatives.  “Taking time out of the workforce to care for children should not have any impact on an employee’s economic security in retirement,” said Libby.  “Viva Energy is to be congratulated for taking these positive actions to substantially improve the retirement balances of their employees who are also working parents.”

Women’s average superannuation balances at retirement are 52.8% lower than men’s [1], so it is critically important that Australian business leaders take action.  FlexCareers is incredibly proud to be able to support Viva Energy, who are leading from the front in recognising that the payment of superannuation during parental leave is essential to ensuring the financial future of primary carers, but also that the need to support carers extends well beyond those first few months.

You can find out more about Viva Energy and search flexible roles available with Viva through FlexCareers here.

ABOUT VIVA ENERGY

Viva Energy is the exclusive licensee of the Shell brand for fuel distribution in Australia. In addition to its 950 plus Shell branded service station network and its Geelong Refinery (VIC), Viva Energy operates aviation, bulk fuels, bitumen, marine, chemicals and lubricants businesses supported by more than 20 storage terminals across the country.