Westpac praised for offering staff paid transgender leave
Westpac is being praised for its new diversity and parenting leave conditions it is offering staff.
They include up to four weeks paid leave and a full year of unpaid leave to make a gender transition.
The leave arrangements are part of a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
Westpac praised for encouraging workers ‘to be themselves’
A spokeswoman for Westpac told Fairfax that workers who wished to transition to a different sex could take up to four weeks of paid leave in a single block or in separate blocks.
“There is also access to counselling and support services if needed.
“Westpac has a proud history of supporting the LGBTIQ community and we want employees to be themselves, no matter their gender or sexual orientation.
“This is something we feel passionate about, so we’re please to have it in our EA.”
Double domestic violence leave
Westpac’s new enterprise agreement also doubles paid domestic violence support leave from 10 to 20 days.
Additionally, it allows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees to take up to three days off for “Sorry Business”.
The bank has increased compassionate leave to three days per occasion.
And furthermore, it has extended parental leave benefits to include long-term foster carers.
Paid leave for support carers has increased from two to three weeks.
And that’s not all – all employees who earn up to $82,500 will be given a 3.25 percent pay rise.
Fantastic news for workers
“This is a fantastic step in the right direction,” Miles Heffernan from Discrimination Claims said.
“The increase in domestic violence leave will help those who are struggling with awful and stressful issues at home,” he said.
“It will let them look after children, or make other living arrangements, including moving and making appointments with police or lawyers.
“In addition, allowing leave for transgender surgery shows that big business is recognising diversity in their workforce who have different and unique needs.”
