We know that flexibility is key for employers in being more family friendly. 

But while flexibility may often be available to staff – accessing it in the way parents and carers actually need it can often come down to a team leader or manager, or the specific culture that these parents experience within their own team.  

At the global healthcare company Novartis, flexible work practices were available well before the pandemic. 

But it more recently moved to formalise flexibility, via a program enabling team member to choose their own working arrangements. 

They’ve also recently revamped their paid parental leave, taken the 2023 Equal Pay Pledge, addressed recruitment processes, and introduced ‘wellness days’ to support staff in getting the health checks they may have missed during COVID. 

My guest today is Sue Whipps, the Country Head of People and Organisation for Novartis Australia and New Zealand, which became an accredited family friendly workplaces employer almost a year ago.