A new era in parental leave for Deloitte employees

3 March 2019: Deloitte Australia has lifted the bar on parental leave with a comprehensive new package that will lead the way in creating a shared, flexible and family-friendly solution for its people in raising their children.

Deloitte already offers 18 weeks paid leave to all new parents, regardless of gender. From 1 March 2019 that leave can be taken over three years, broken up in a range of flexible ways to suit each family’s unique needs.

Deloitte Australia Chief Executive Officer Richard Deutsch said: “We recognise that you’re not just a parent for 12 months. Nothing is more important than the arrival of a new addition to the family and both parents should have the opportunity to provide support to their children through those early years.

“By calling it parental leave we’ve removed all the old-fashioned titles like primary and secondary carers, and we’re 100 percent committed to both women and men having the same experience in accessing leave and the same opportunity to be a parent.”

Deloitte’s improved policy will ensure eligiblity for parental leave begins when a new employee joins the firm, and is available following their successful probation. The policy will also ensure superannuation contributions will continue while employees are taking unpaid parental leave, to provide greater financial security for the future as well as addressing the gender pay gap which can accumulate over a lifetime due to these career breaks for caring responsibilities.

Additionally, employees can now take parental leave at the same time as their spouse or partner. If both parents work for Deloitte, they’ll also be entitled to take parental leave at the same time if that suits the family’s circumstances.

“I want to encourage everyone to access the parental leave they’re entitled to. We’ve led the way in removing the barriers that previously confronted some people from doing so. This is a time of shared responsibility and the new policy is one I’m proud to initiate,” said Mr Deutsch.

“The new approach will allow our people to pursue and develop their careers with flexibility and purpose. We’re encouraging them to take an active role in caring responsibilities for their families while minimising the financial impact of having a break for parental leave.”