As a leading provider of Fertility services in Australia, Genea prides itself on its focus on exceptional personalized care and outcomes for its patients. In the same way, Genea believes the employee experience should also be exceptional and personalised. A key component of that experience for many Genea staff is how they are supported to work flexibility and in a wide range of carer circumstances. FFW accreditation is important because it reinforces the importance family inclusive workplace practices play in business today and in the future plus it provides the framework and the networks to strive for better.
At Genea, our purpose is to help people make families so it’s natural that we should honour that purpose by supporting families through our workplace policies. Our staff tell us that they join Genea and stay with us because of the caring nature of our core business – making babies through our fertility services.
The largest cohort of our team is 25-36-year olds which means a significant proportion of our employee group is right smack bang in the middle of child raising years, one of the key elements of a family friendly workplace. Because we also have amazing longevity with our staff (18% of our workforce has 10 years’ service or more), we know that other family caring outcomes are also very important as our staff step into grandparent roles or need to care for their own ageing parents.
Genea has a hybrid workforce model which we implemented during the initial COVID-19 period and have since evolved to empower our teams to develop their own working practices within a broader framework. Our strong emphasis on flexible working helps our staff design a working week which suits both Genea and the demands and needs of their family and lifestyle.
As a fertility clinic, we truly understand the challenges of infertility and pregnancy loss whilst continuing to work. Staff can access time-off for appointments and the need for time off after miscarriage, stillbirth and failed fertility treatment is recognised in Genea’s Bereavement Leave Policy.
We are part of the Parents At Work Employer Network with access to the latest in family friendly policy advice, as well as providing our staff with free access to the Parents At Work Parents and Carers Webinar series. We also have mental health resources in place and staff are eligible for mental health support plans.
Genea’s family friendly approach to our workforce has long been in place with many examples of practical support coming ahead of policies.
Some of Genea’s family friendly policies have been a natural outcome of our understanding of infertility while others, namely the inclusion of miscarriage in the Bereavement Leave Policy have been influenced by treasured partners such as The Pink Elephants Support Network and Parents At Work.
Significant research was conducted into best practice hybrid workforce models and the final design was shaped by employee feedback.
Genea’s NPS has increased significantly over the past 12 months and staff have also self-assessed productivity as increased.
Despite a year where we’ve largely worked remote from each other and from head office, more Genea staff are reporting a stronger connection to the organization. We have also experienced increased retention rates since the introduction of several family friendly policies.
Dr Cynthia Roberts
As a senior executive, I always assumed that I would need to be present in the workplace during office hours. I have an intellectually disabled son Daniel, now 26 years old. Both while Daniel was in school and post-school in a supported day program, Genea always offered me extensive flexibility to balance the needs of my son while maintaining my workload. As an example, I was able to both arrive late and leave the office early while Daniel was in my care to ensure that he was adequately cared for and supervised while continuing my work from home. (I share custody with Daniel’s father.)
Similarly, I was provided with carers leave for doctor visits and hospital admissions. I always felt that Daniel’s welfare was very much considered and felt extremely well supported. I feel most fortunate to have been able to continue my career at Genea for 26 years without impediment.
As a leading provider of Fertility services in Australia, Genea prides itself on its focus on exceptional personalized care and outcomes for its patients. In the same way, Genea believes the employee experience should also be exceptional and personalised. A key component of that experience for many Genea staff is how they are supported to work flexibility and in a wide range of carer circumstances. FFW accreditation is important because it reinforces the importance family inclusive workplace practices play in business today and in the future plus it provides the framework and the networks to strive for better.
Parents At Work acknowledge and pay respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
