Breaking barriers: Hassell MD, Liz Westgarth announces progressive parental leave policy

Paving the way for a more balanced and inclusive workforce, Liz Westgarth, our recently appointed Managing Director, proudly introduces industry-leading parental leave benefits.

Effective from July 1st this year, the comprehensive parental leave policy reflects Hassell’s dedication to prioritising the wellbeing of families by creating an opportunity to better balance parental responsibilities with professional life.

“I’m extremely pleased to be announcing an enhanced Parental Leave Policy as one of my first initiatives as Managing Director of Hassell,” says Liz who took up the role as Hassell’s first female Managing Director on July 1st 2023. “Our new Parental Leave Policy is about fostering an environment where everyone feels they can thrive, importantly by supporting a balance in career and family.”

Highlights of the new inclusive Parental Leave Policy are:

• an equitable 16-week paid leave to all parents, irrespective of their role as primary or secondary carers.
• notably, this policy extends to parents who have adopted children, those in foster or surrogacy arrangements and those who have experienced the loss of a child through stillbirth.

“Our renewed Parental Leave Policy marks yet another stride towards our gender equity commitments,” says Liz.

“This isn’t just about us; it’s about setting an inclusive and responsive design industry benchmark that mirrors our commitment to breaking down barriers and making impactful change.”

— Liz Westgarth, Managing Director

Hassell’s more inclusive approach to parental leave is just one of a suite of progressive and flexible policies offered by the company that supports diversity and inclusion.

“In the current year, our dedication to gender equity demonstrated itself through a clear shift in the representation of women in pivotal leadership positions across our business,” says Liz. “My hope is that this new policy will help encourage more inclusive leadership and equity within the wider community.”

Date

September 08, 2023

Conversations

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We offer opportunities to work in other locations and benefits such as flexibility, wellbeing, extra paid parental leave and more.

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