Advocacy Projects

We collaborate with employers, policy makers and industry professionals to advocate for improved wellbeing and gender equality outcomes at work and at home.

9 Family Friendly Recommendations for Employers

Australia’s leading agencies dedicated to supporting families have joined forces to highlight the important need for the business community to understand and respond to the real challenges facing working families through the COVID 19 crisis and beyond  – to help them ‘bounce  back’ to build a stronger, more sustainable way of working and caring for family.

The partnership is encouraging businesses to support their staff by getting on board and downloading the Family Friendly Workplace recommendations and implementing them within their workplace.

Parental Leave White Paper

Download your copy of the Parents At Work White Paper on Parental Leave Equality and Shared Care opportunities in Australia

National Working Families Report 2019

The inaugural National Working Families Report 2019 looks at the responses of over 6,000 Australian working parents and carers on what they need to support them balance work & family as well as recommendations for employers on what they can do to create family friendly workplaces of the future.

This is a not-for-profit initiative spearheaded by Parents At Work and the Advancing Parental Leave Equality Network (APLEN). For more information and to read the Full Report, Executive Summary and Key Findings click on the buttons.

#NWFReport2019    #WorkingFamilies

Kiwi Dads Campaign

Auckland September 2019

With less than 2% of Kiwi Dads taking parental leave this campaign encourages organisations to adopt a shared parental-leave approach: to offer the same leave equally to fathers and mothers, regardless of who is the primary caregiver. 
The portraits were taken by local photographer Sarah Weber and are of 13 Kiwi dads from different areas and backgrounds of New Zealand.
We have continued to work in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden as well as Global Women NZ and our corporate sponsors to show the Kiwi Dads photography exhibition together with Swedish Dads at the new Newmarket Westfield in September 2019.

Aussie Dads Campaign Sydney & Melbourne August 2018

Parents At Work commissioned, Swedish Dads photographer, Johan Bavman to capture photos of Aussie Dads.  Similar to Johan's subjects for Swedish Dads, the selected Aussie Dads had taken extended parental leave.

The Aussie Dads photography series aims to highlight the low rates of parental leave taken up by Australian fathers. The photography series will be used to promote a discussion on the benefits to dads, mums, kids, families, companies, and the Australian economy of dads taking parental leave.

We have continued to work in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden and our corporate sponsors to show the Aussies Dads photography exhibition together with Swedish Dads at the Sydney Opera House, as well as the State Library in Melbourne in August 2018.

A free public exhibition is available to view at the Sydney Opera House – 23rd – 30th August 2018.

There will also be an exhibition at the Victorian State Library, Melbourne from the 31st August 2018 – 5th August 2018.

British Dads Business Leaders Summit London UK June 2018

This International Think Tank Business Leaders Discussion Event & Dads photographic exhibition is designed to inspire UK workplaces to collaborate on how they can encourage more fathers to participate in shared parental leave to improve gender equality outcomes for all.

Learn, discuss and share insights on;

  • The benefits of advancing men’s participation in shared parental leave and flexible work; recognising the positive impact it has on women, men, children, society and the broader economy.
  • Key research findings on the challenges that hold men back from participating in shared parental leave and flexible work
  • Advancing shared care participation by men and women and reduce prejudice and discrimination and promote inclusiveness of those with caring commitments
  • Improving employer-supported parental leave policies and how they can increase participation of UK fathers taking shared parental leave.

Swedish Dads Photography Exhibition Sydney, Australia, Father's Day 2017

In 2017 we worked closely with the Embassy of Sweden to bring the Swedish Dads Photography Exhibition to Sydney Australia.  With the support of 7 corporate partners in the International Towers at Barangaroo we exhibited the photos in the foyer of each tower through the month of September.  In conjunction with the photography exhibition Parents At Work ran an educational program specifically for working dads.  

Creating Family Friendly Workplaces Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane 2017

In 2017 we worked closely with the Embassy of Sweden to bring the Swedish Dads Photography Exhibition to Sydney Australia.  With the support of 7 corporate partners in the International Towers at Barangaroo we exhibited the photos in the foyer of each tower through the month of September.  In conjunction with the photography exhibition Parents At Work ran an educational program specifically for working dads.