´We are inclusive and supportive of employees with family and caring responsibilities´

When did Aristocrat start the partnership with Parents at Work and what are the main goals and expectations it intends to achieve with this initiative?

Aristocrat started its partnership with Parents at Work in February 2022. Parents at Work is a membership-based organization that provides work and family education and policy advisory services to improve gender equality and work/life outcomes.

Through our partnership with Parents at Work, we launched the Aristocrat Families Hub in February. The Hub is a centralized resources hub that provides tools and resources to support employees with balancing their career, caring and family responsibilities, and includes resources for managers. Our main goals and expectations for this initiative include:

- Enhancing the support mechanisms we have for employees with family or caring responsibilities
Creating a culture of support for working families and those with caring responsibilities.

- Broadening conventional concepts of caregivers/carers, to include dads, parents/carers of LGBTQ+ children, those with elder and disability caring responsibilities etc., and break down stereotypes of traditional gender roles (e.g., woman as caregiver; man as breadwinner) to support the advancement of gender equality.

What does it mean for Aristocrat to be a Family Friendly employer?

Being a Family Friendly employer means we are inclusive and supportive of employees with family and caring responsibilities. The reality is that working families and carers are juggling the pressures of work and family responsibilities. By creating a culture of support and providing support mechanisms, Aristocrat can positively impact the experience for parents and carers at work, enabling them to be their whole selves at work – which is a win-win.

What type of family friendly workplace policies will the firm implement?

One of our Diversity & Inclusion strategic priorities is to design, enhance and embed People policies, practices and systems for inclusivity and alignment to best practice. To this end, we have reviewed and updated all related policies, including our Parental Leave Policy, Domestic Violence Leave Policy and Flexible Work Policy, to ensure inclusive and family friendly language. We also review and update policies and practices on an annual basis through reporting requirements and benchmarking efforts and aim to ensure our standards of practice are always improving and are in line with local and global standards.

The Aristocrat Families Hub resources include:

- Information packs for new parents and those with elder care responsibilities
- Coaching/support for employees returning to work from parental leave
- Parenting workshops targeting mothers
- Parenting workshops targeting fathers
- Webinars and group coaching forums to help respond to the ever-changing needs of parents, carers and leaders as they combine work with family
- Podcasts

If an employee is not a parent or carer, there are also courses that relate to Wellbeing and Career that are relevant and useful to everyone.