PwC Australia announces Parental Leave policy updates and new Miscarriage Leave policy to further support its people in career and family life

• Parental leave increased from 18 weeks to 26 weeks - can be taken as a block and/or flexibly
• ‘Primary’ and ‘secondary’ carer labels abolished to provide entire team opportunity to undertake caring responsibilities
  Parental leave can be taken up until the child is two years of age
• Miscarriage leave of 10 days per annum introduced for miscarriage prior to 20 weeks gestation, with stillbirth eligible for full 26 weeks parental leave
• PwC Australia has today outlined updates to its Parental Leave policy for its people and partners ensuring people can progress their careers at the firm while balancing their parenting and family responsibilities.

Following extensive consultation across the firm, the new Parental Leave policy includes increasing paid leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks with enhancements to support parents in returning to work, as well as taking parental leave up until a child is two years of age with the ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ carer roles removed to allow for real choice for all team members. This will enable more non-birth parents to take up to 26 weeks of parental leave.

PwC Chief Executive Tom Seymour said, “Our people provided feedback on our Parental Leave policy and we’ve listened to that feedback. We’re making a significant investment in our people to support them in their careers as they begin or expand their families.”

Catherine Walsh, Head of People and Culture at PwC Australia said, “PwC is committed to advancing gender equality and has set inclusive gender targets to reach by 2025. We know gender neutral policies such as paid parental leave for each parent are important as they provide families with real choice. Our updated policy removes barriers for shared care between parents.

“Our people told us that the return to work transition is the hardest, which is why parental leave is available to take in a block and flexibly. For example, we’ve made enhancements so someone could take 20 weeks as a fixed block and use their remaining six week entitlement upon returning as additional care days, or to enable them to return to work part time but be paid full-time until the period of flexible leave is exhausted. The increase in Parental Leave to 26 weeks paid leave also helps increase workforce participation for women, challenge gender norms and encourages non-birth parents and men to take up parental leave.”

The firm has also introduced a Miscarriage Leave policy of 10 days per annum for pregnancy loss prior to 20 weeks of gestation to provide support during a deeply personal and challenging time. This leave is also available to the partner of someone who experiences a miscarriage and builds on an existing policy where full parental leave entitlements are available if a child is stillborn (from 20 weeks gestation).

Ms Walsh said about one in four pregnancies result in miscarriage and women may experience multiple miscarriages.

“Our new Miscarriage Leave policy supports our people, beyond the minimum legislative requirement, during a deeply personal and challenging time.”

The policies enhance the support PwC already provides to its people at every stage of having a family. These changes build on the PwC’s existing strong policy that acknowledges parenting can take many forms through birth, adoption, surrogacy, foster care and kinship care; has no minimum service requirements; pays superannuation of up to one year; and provides extensive parental leave transition coaching and support for parents and their team leaders.

Both policies are effective from 1 October 2022 and are available to partners and full-time or part-time permanent employees. People who are on parental leave as of 1 October 2022 will also be eligible to transition into the new policy.

Mr Seymour said, “We strive to create a place of belonging for everyone. We know no two employees are the same and understand that for many of our people, creating the right combination of work and family life is so important. We’ve enhanced the flexibility of our Parental Leave policy to allow our people to decide how they will take the parental leave that best suits their family.

“Our goal is to support our people to thrive at every stage of their career and stage of family life so we can attract and retain the very best people. Our Parental Leave policy is part of a range of support we provide for our people from fertility and planning a family to childbirth, the early years of childhood into the teenage years and beyond,” concluded Mr Seymour.