Rethinking support for women at work: How three of our partners are doing it differently

Meaningful support for women at work needs more than good intentions.

It requires deliberate policies, supportive leadership and a workplace culture that recognises careers don’t exist in isolation from life.

Across the industrial property sector, three WIN partners are redesigning how that support shows up in practice.

Mirvac: Designing flexibility with intention

Flexibility built on trust

At Mirvac, flexibility is embedded as a principle rather than a perk. Employees are encouraged to discuss with their manager ways to embed flexibility into their roles.

As Casey Aladic from the Culture and Capability team puts it, it’s not a fixed formula.

‘Flexibility in itself needs to be flexible,’ she explains. ‘The aim is to find an arrangement that works for the individual, the team and the business – and to revisit it as needs evolve.’

Leadership role-modelling is a key part of this process. Senior leaders are encouraged to openly share how they structure their work around life commitments, including what Casey calls ‘leaving loudly’ – stepping away without apology or secrecy.

For Casey and colleague Olivia Aviv, flexibility is also a lived experience. The pair share one strategic role in a job share arrangement, each working part-time while maintaining full coverage across the function.

‘You don’t typically see job shares in the type of role that we do,’ Olivia says. ‘Yet, with deliberate role design and structured collaboration time, the arrangement supports both performance and business outcomes.’

The benefits – and the work required

But sometimes, flexibility is easier to promise than to operationalise.

‘Not every role can work remotely,’ Casey acknowledges, particularly in construction and site-based environments. ‘The key is to look for what is possible and design roles intentionally around that.’

Olivia explains how there are common misconceptions, including the stereotypes that someone working from home isn’t productive and that part-time roles can’t deliver impact.

‘If a role is designed appropriately and you have the right support, you can very effectively work part-time,’ she says.

In their own job share, the benefit goes beyond coverage. Casey and Olivia’s weekly crossover day is used to collaborate on more strategic pieces – not just as a handover – bringing diversity of thought into decision-making.

Another common risk? People reducing days without reducing workload. Without early conversations and realistic expectations, flexibility can quickly turn into burnout.

At the end of the day, success relies on trust. ‘One should always come from a place of trust at first,’ Olivia says, ‘supported by clear boundaries, transparent calendars – and open performance conversations when needed.’

Enabling women to participate and progress

For women in particular, flexible working can be the difference between staying in the workforce and stepping away altogether.

‘We’ve heard through survey feedback that without this flexibility, some women wouldn’t be able to continue working,’ Casey shares. ‘Personally, if I wasn’t able to work two and a half days a week, then I wouldn’t be able to work at all.’

Flexibility also supports more equitable sharing of care. When men are encouraged to take up flexible arrangements, caring responsibilities can be split more evenly – reducing the disproportionate burden often carried by women.

The business impact is also clear. When employees are asked why they join and stay at Mirvac, the most consistent themes are ‘flexibility and culture’.

Ultimately, says Casey, ‘meaningful support needs to start with safety and respect.’

Women – and all employees – must feel physically and psychologically safe to contribute fully. When that foundation is in place, flexibility becomes an enabler of belonging, retention and high performance.

Cushman & Wakefield: Parental leave that works

A policy shaped by listening

When Cushman & Wakefield revised its parental leave policy, it did so with a clear acknowledgement: it could do better.

‘After completing extensive market research and mapping, and gathering employee feedback prior to the revision, we were aware that our Parental Leave offering had room for improvement,’ says Amanda Carter, People Partner Director ANZ & North Asia.

Working closely with its Women’s Integrated Network, the organisation focused on what employees valued most: meaningful paid leave, financial support and confidence in returning to work.

The revised policy now includes:

• 20 weeks’ paid Primary Carer Leave
• 4 weeks’ paid Secondary Carer Leave
• Superannuation contributions for up to 12 months
• Inclusive eligibility for adoption and surrogacy
• Flexibility to transition from secondary to primary carer within entitlements

The continuation of superannuation contributions was a deliberate inclusion, supporting long-term financial wellbeing and contributing to reducing the gender superannuation and pay gap.

Supporting fee earners to return – and accelerate

In a commission-driven property environment, returning to client-facing sales roles can present additional financial pressure.

‘From our position in the property industry, we are very aware of the importance of advocating for women in property, and the unique challenges faced by parents in the industry,’ Amanda explains.

Hence, the key differentiator in the revised policy: the Fee Earner Return to Work Scheme.

Eligible primary carers returning from parental leave receive a nil commission threshold for six months, enabling them to earn commission on any deals completed during that period. The intent is clear: reduce financial uncertainty and support momentum during reintegration.

The initiative aligns with a broader strategic priority to increase female brokers within the organisation and across the industry – shifting parental leave from a potential career disruptor to a supported transition point.

Extending support beyond leave

Cushman & Wakefield’s approach spans before, during and after parental leave.

Employees can incorporate flexible hours, reduced hours, job-sharing, compressed work weeks or remote work into personalised return-to-work plans.

Up to 10 paid ‘keeping in touch’ days are also available by mutual agreement, allowing employees to maintain connection in a way that suits their circumstances.

Although only recently launched, the organisation has already set executive-backed targets to increase uptake among men and non-birth partners by at least 15% in the first year – reinforcing that parental leave is a shared responsibility.

For Amanda, one lesson stands out from the process: intention alone isn’t enough.

‘While many organisations are well-intentioned with their policies and practices, it’s very important that women are heard, understood and consulted in matters that concern them and their families.’

Meaningful support, she emphasises, starts with listening – and designing policies with those directly impacted at the table.

Charter Hall: Career progression in parenthood

Protecting career growth

At Charter Hall, maintaining career momentum begins well before parental leave starts. Employees are encouraged to have proactive career conversations with their leaders to align on role scope, development priorities and future opportunities.

The goal is to keep people connected to meaningful work, visible to decision-makers and progressing at a pace that reflects their capability and contribution – not their life stage.

The company recently updated its parental leave policy to reflect this approach. Employees now have greater flexibility in taking leave, including the option to use it in blocks or on a part-time basis. The company also continues to pay short-term incentives for employees on parental leave.

The key principle underpinning this approach is choice. Staff can choose to step away fully, or remain engaged in ways that feel right for them through keeping in touch days and staged return arrangements.

Either way, through proactive planning, employees feel reassured they remain part of the organisation’s future.

A supported return to work

Returning to work after parental leave can be a complex transition. Charter Hall aims to make this an intentional and supported process.

Employees are guided before, during and after leave with Parental Transitions Coaching. The program focuses on maintaining employee confidence and clarity around career direction.

A key part of the process is encouraging leaders to hold formal career planning conversations when staff return. Too often, return-to-work discussions are solely about logistics – hours, flexibility and handovers. Charter Hall instead encourages managers to focus on ambition and professional development.

This approach recognises that people don’t come back to work less capable. And taking the time to understand what’s changed and what someone wants next can make a meaningful difference to retention and engagement.

Ensuring leave doesn’t impact opportunity

To ensure parental leave doesn’t become a career setback, Charter Hall is taking steps to prevent employees from being inadvertently disadvantaged in performance and promotion decisions.

Review periods and KPIs are adjusted to reflect the time actually worked, with performance measured by outcomes, not presence.

Leaders are encouraged to challenge their unconscious bias – particularly when parental leave coincides with promotion opportunities. Decisions are grounded in evidence of capability and readiness, rather than assumptions about future availability or flexibility.

This approach has enabled employees to take on expanded responsibilities or step into promotions both before going on leave and soon after returning. One example is WIN board member Stephanie Petrevski, who returned from parental leave into a promotion to Deputy Fund Manager for Charter Hall Prime Industrial Fund (CPIF) – its largest industrial and logistics fund.

Ultimately, Charter Hall views work and life as an integration. Parenthood, like other caring responsibilities, is one of many experiences employees will navigate across a long career.

Creating the right culture, supportive leadership and clear processes allows that integration to work in practice.

Because supporting women at work isn’t about special treatment – it’s about removing structural friction so they can thrive.