Action Area #3—Shifting gender stereotypes
‘There is no such thing as women’s work and men’s work: we need to make sure all APS employees have equal opportunities to secure jobs of their choice and access leave fairly’
APS Submission Respondent
Key actions
3A Agencies will create opportunities to strengthen gender representation in select occupations (e.g. STEM and service delivery) and talent pipelines, in a targeted way, taking into account the broader labour market.
3B The APSC, in consultation with agencies, will review APS-wide parental leave provisions, with a view to creating more flexible parental leave entitlements to enable a greater choice for parents. This seeks to enable more equitable sharing of caring responsibilities. This will include a consideration of current practices in the private and other public sector jurisdictions, and consistency of outcomes in superannuation on unpaid parental leave. The review will be conducted in the context of the Government’s Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy 2020, enterprise agreements and relevant legislation.
3C Agencies will be proactive in offering parental leave and flexible work arrangements to all employees including those with caring responsibilities. Managers will favourably consider requests for flexibility for all supporting partners who are welcoming a child reflecting
a strong commitment and support for flexible ways of working (data has shown that men, in particular, often do not take advantage of these opportunities). This will create
a culture that helps families choose the best ways for them to manage work and caring responsibilities. The Fair Work Act 2009 also refers to the right to request flexibility for parents of school aged and under children.
Tips for agencies
Strengthen workforce diversity through business-linked workforce planning, from hire through to retire. Encourage opportunities and career planning for all employees to perform roles that match their skills and interests, regardless of their gender or their work arrangements. Find creative ways to nudge social norms and encourage behaviour change. For example, a visible intranet campaign highlighting senior men caring for elderly relatives or taking parental leave.
Success for this action area
Success is where all those working in the APS have equal choice with respect to balancing their work and caring responsibilities while being supported to pursue career opportunities. The APS does not make assumptions about an employee’s skills and capability based on gender. Acknowledging that we never know what capability someone has until it is tested, all employees are provided equal opportunity to demonstrate how, what and when they can contribute.
Holding ourselves to account
Workplaces have a role to play by normalising parental leave for all genders. Agencies are able to highlight success through case studies that shift gender stereotypes and norms. This includes having more men work part-time and/or take parental leave.