RPS don’t just say they are a family-friendly workplace; they walk the talk. One of their key organisational principles is ‘stronger together’, and by engaging and involving their people in an inclusive dialogue that normalises family and caring responsibilities, they are creating strong families, strong teams and a strong business.
To support with this mission, RPS decided to partner with Parents At Work to design a program to support its people at all stages of life – from preparing to take parental leave to caring for aging parents. Managers at RPS play a significant part in driving the family-friendly workplace culture, and Parents At Work give team leaders access to resources that help them achieve that.
RPS’s implementation of the Parents At Work program coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, with many employees and team members working from home. Now more than ever, families are trying to juggle home working, home schooling and caring responsibilities. The program has given them a platform to support employees through the challenges of staying at home and social distancing.
The RPS executive team was on board from the beginning and recognised the benefits that the Parents At Work program could provide. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, RPS have launched the program online through newsletters, team meetings, videos and updates to their intranet. The videos have allowed employees the opportunity to see their leaders at home and show the value placed in a family-friendly workplace.
Like many organisations, in the face of the pandemic RPS were quick to respond to enabling work from home and have seen employees thrive. RPS believe that many previous barriers – or perceived barriers – to a flexible work environment will be significantly reduced. Discussions around flexible working options will be encouraged and supported.
The company already offer a paid parental leave scheme and have policies in place that support flexibility around payment terms to help people transition between work and parental leave in ways that suit their individual needs and situations.
“RPS staff go above and beyond for the business. We’re always looking for ways to do the same in return – to help and support them beyond just their day-to-day job. Parents At Work is one of those initiatives that helps people strike the right balance between work and family life, something I fully appreciate the importance of as a father of four boys (11, 9 and 2-year-old twins)!”
Ross Thompson, CEO of RPS Australia Asia Pacific
For RPS, promoting a family-friendly workplace is about recognising that life can’t be about work all the time. When people feel empowered to prioritise family responsibilities when they need to, they are far more likely to be engaged, productive and fulfilled when they are at work.
RPS employs smart, dedicated and passionate people. Fostering a family-friendly culture helps keep these people within the RPS family and attracts new leading minds to the team. Not only is it a good thing to do, it makes good business sense.
