Podcast

In this Shared Care Special, Sarah Maxwell, People & Performance Director at Solotel, opens up to us about how she and her husband plan to take their parental leave with their baby on the way. Their plan is to alternate in taking blocks of time off, with Sarah taking a block of 6-8 weeks off, then Peter taking 6-8 weeks, then Sarah will take a second block, then Peter will take a second block...

As a working parent it can seem that there are never enough hours in the day and at times we can feel guilty about not spending enough time with our toddlers. Being with your toddler in a connected way that is meaningful for you both does not have to take hours, it is definitely quality over quantity. Join Sharlene Vlahos, parenting expert from Karitane who will discuss exactly that- how to spend...

Every year the new year resolution theme crops up asking us to reassess what it means to be healthy. How many of us make wellbeing decisions based on what others (the media, friends, health products) say are the ‘good’ things to do? What if there was another way of approaching our health goals? And what if, more importantly perhaps, there was a way to make changes that are sustained through the ye...

Do you have expectations? Who do they go to? How do they impact the relationships in your life? Who has them on you? In this episode youth advocate, teen expert and mother of three teenagers, Lucy Dahill, presents what expectations are, the flavour of fear teenagers have of disappointing their parents in the face of expectations, and how parents should understand the source of expectations so as t...

This episode looks at four big food myths that get in the way of a healthy relationship with what we eat. 1) The Food Pyramid / diet is for everyone 2) Superfood XYZ will make me healthy 3) If he/she can then I can 4) Everything in good balance (hint: who measures the good exactly?). Join Complementary Health Practitioner Katie Walls and Executive Career Coach Sam Eddy as they myth bust these four...

Parenting has definitely changed over the last 5 years with the availability and access to screens, it’s difficult as a parent to navigate and decide what’s best for our toddlers. During this podcast, join Sharlene Vlahos, toddler expert from Karitane who shares the recommendations around screen time and provides you with helpful information that will allow you to make an informed decision around...

Sleep is vital if we are to not only feel well and healthy but also be a great parent and employee. Parenting expert Sharlene Vlahos from parenting experts Karitane joins Emma Walsh, CEO, Parents At Work about how to get into a supportive sleeping rhythm in the early months of your new borns life. Sharlene and Emma explore what works for baby and you.

When asked to draw a ‘modern day parent’ it’s highly likely that most of us ‘in the trenches’ would draw a mum or dad with a cape on their back, a device in one hand, spatula in the other, book in the other (yes, we’re in three arm territory here). They would possibly appear stressed or at least have the ‘I’ve got this… I think’ look on their face. The demands and pressures come from all direction...

Sleep is an important part of the day for anyone especially working parents! Parents can face many challenges trying to maintain a routine for their toddlers and getting them to bed at a reasonable hour. The other challenge is usually encouraging them to stay there so you all can get some restful sleep. Sleep is one of the most popular questions Karitane receive. This episode Sharlene Vlahos talks...

In the lead-up to National Families Week next week, host Emma Musgrave was joined by Emma Walsh, founder of Family Friendly Workplaces and the CEO of Parents at Work, to discuss the importance of leaders being considerate of employee commitments at home. Emma Walsh shares the biggest trends she sees play out when it comes to supporting parents and other carers, including how th...

As the Chief Winemaker of Orlando Wines based in Barossa Valley, Tim Pequest-Hunt knows all too well the “one shot to get it right” that comes with the science and magic of turning grapes into wine.  A classically trained singer who got into a career in winemaking after working part-time in a local wine store, he is now a champion for family-friendly workplaces and aims to actively demonstrat...

Lion’s revamped domestic and family violence abuse policy sets a new benchmark for supporting employees to access the help they need. Revamped in 2021, the policy builds on offering paid domestic and family violence leave to now also providing emergency short term accommodation for individuals and their immediate families in crisis. They also provide loaner phones for team members who believe thei...

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 practi...

Welcoming a new baby can be an exciting and daunting time for your toddler. As a parent you may try and prepare your toddler for the new arrival but when the new baby comes home your toddler would be happier if you sent them straight back! Our podcast today will discuss sibling rivalry, why it happens, how you can support your toddler and strategies to manage the unhelpful behaviour.

Dinner time and meals can be a battle with your toddler and at times it feels like your toddler doesn’t eat anything you cook and yet they eat everything at day care! This can be very frustrating and worrying for parents as you strive to meet their nutritional needs. Don’t be alarmed this is very common for toddlers so during our podcast we’ll be discussing normal eating habits for your toddler an...

For Gaye Morris, working flexibly is something she’s been doing for decades over a number of different organisations.  “I have a 20 year old child and I’ve been working flexibly the whole time. I’ve just come to expect it.”  Now the Chief People and Culture Officer for Mercer Pacific, Morris says she speaks openly with her team about “being in charge of their own flexibility story and ho...

There are times in a toddler’s life where they feel overwhelmed or out of control and may exhibit aggressive behaviour such as hitting, biting and kicking either towards you or others around them. As parents this can be very upsetting to see our toddler behave in this way but there is help. This week we talk to our Toddler Clinic Experts who help parent’s everyday experiencing this behaviour and d...

Lion spent millions of dollars closing its gender pay gap. Now it’s going one step further on promoting workplace gender equality: removing ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ carer labels to give parents more flexibility around the leave they take after having a child. It’s a move that outgoing CEO Stuart Irvine, who has also kickstarted a number of other gender equality initiatives during his eight years...

Business size should not be used as an excuse for failing to provide a great workplace culture and inclusive policies to support staff, according to Ben Schramm. As the Managing Partner of Cube Group, a Melbourne-based consultancy employing around 30 people and offering generous employee entitlements including 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all new parents, he’s seen the power firsthand of put...

We found that people love working at PEXA because of the connections. So we want to enable this. We also have ‘connect’ events and team forums. It’s about coming in for a purpose, to connect and engage and brainstorm -- then the rest of the week is up to you. You can come into the office every day if that’s how you like to work and get your energy, but equally you can work from home.” - Linda...

Hear from Randstad RiseSmart Managing Director Alison Hernandez on why she has become and Ambassador for Family Friendly Workplaces.

Hear from KPMG CEO Andrew Yates as he is interviewed by Angela Priestley from Women's Agenda on why he revolutionised the companies paid parental leave policy on his first day as CEO.

As the Australian managing partner of global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, Alison Deitz is open about some of the experiences she’s had juggling parenting with work. She sees storytelling as an opportunity to share lived experiences and empathise with staff who are currently experiencing similar challenges in managing a family, in whatever shape or form that comes. Alison speaks particularly abo...

“The research says that if a parent is going to be in the child’s life for the long term, the bonding in the first few months is incredibly important, so why are we so obsessed with the ‘primary’ versus ‘secondary’. A parent is a parent. You organise your parenting and family however you want.” ~ Melanie Evans. ING CEO Melanie Evans speaks with Angela Priestley from Women's Agenda on how she...

Menopause has traditionally been seen as a private matter or ‘a women’s issue’ and is not openly discussed in workplaces, with very few having any policies, adjustments or support programs in place. This can mean that many women hide their symptoms due to the fear of discrimination or stigma with some even leaving the workplace through lack of support. In fact a recent report stated that 1 in 4 wo...