Multiplex has reported a four-fold increase in the number of men taking primary carers leave compared to five years ago, reflecting a shift in how parenting responsibilities are viewed and shared.
According to data supplied to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), 34 men took primary carers leave at Multiplex in 2023/24, compared with just one in 2018/19.
This coincides with Multiplex’s launch of an enhanced gender-neutral parental leave policy. Together with other gender equality initiatives, such as workplace behaviour training and family wellbeing programs, the policy is driving cultural change.
“These numbers are encouraging because they represent a positive shift in mindset,” says Caitriona Comerford, executive director of people at Multiplex.
“It shows us that men are viewing their responsibilities at home differently and that they feel able to make choices about how they share those responsibilities without it negatively impacting their careers.
“Our dads tell us that when they take parental leave it gives them a better understanding of what’s involved in caring for kids fulltime and the challenges faced in transitioning back to work.
“That means they can be advocates for colleagues taking parental leave and better support them when they do take that time away.”
Updated parental leave policy
Building on the success of its first gender-neutral parental leave policy, introduced in 2019, Multiplex has launched an updated version with expanded benefits. The policy includes longer leave periods for primary and secondary carers and removes minimum tenure requirements.
Primary carers now receive 20 weeks of paid leave – two weeks more than before – while secondary carers receive three weeks, up from two.
“Removing the tenure requirement is important because it eliminates a potential barrier to attracting new talent and unlocks greater flexibility for our people to make choices for their families without fear of it impacting their career,” says Comerford.
The policy continues to offer a range of parental support initiatives, including coaching to help parents transition in and out of leave and continued superannuation contributions for primary carers during unpaid parental leave.
Case study: Daniel Maloney
Daniel Maloney, a project manager at Multiplex in Victoria, recently took four months of primary carers leave to look after his daughter, Frankie. Initially, he had reservations.
“Coming up from my early days in construction, there were still some stereotypes around taking parental leave in my head. As a project manager on West Side Place, one of our biggest projects in Victoria at the time, I was also concerned how it might impact the job,” says Maloney.
“Ultimately, those concerns were unfounded. My manager immediately told me to go for it and worked with me to minimise any impacts on the project, and the team was equally supportive.”
He says the experience was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend time with his daughter.
“As well as strengthening my relationship with Frankie, the experience gave me a greater appreciation for the role of the primary carer,” he says.
“You think you know what the primary carer at home does, but you don’t really understand the continuous work that goes into a full day of looking after a child until you do it yourself. It has really helped us share the load at home now we’re both back at work.
“I definitely feel like it’s becoming more accepted and normal for men to not only take parental leave, but to be able to prioritise your family and be home when you need to as well.”
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Multiplex data summary
The following table outlines the number of Multiplex employees who have taken primary carers leave for the WGEA reporting period:
| Year | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 |
| Female | 29 (46%) | 27 (53%) | 32 (57%) | 34 (83%) | 24 (89%) | 19 (95%) |
| Male | 34 (54%) | 24 (47%) | 24 (43%) | 7 (17%) | 3 (11%) | 1 (5%) |
This cultural shift is also improving workplace flexibility. Multiplex’s most recent Employee Experience Survey showed a 10 per cent increase in employees reporting the flexibility to meet personal and family commitments and a 5 per cent rise in employees seeing managers as role models for flexible working.
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