18 March 2009: Clayton Utz has been awarded a Employer of Choice for Women (EOCFW) citation by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) for 2009 in recognition of the firm's ongoing commitment to initiatives that support women in the workplace.
Some of these initiatives include a paid parental leave policy of 12 weeks' pay after one year of service, a national in-house networking group for female lawyers called MOMENTUM, the establishment of a Diversity Council, and the availability of flexible working arrangements - including a formal working from home policy introduced in 2008.
Clayton Utz' Chief Executive Partner David Fagan said the firm was proud to be recognised by EOWA as an employer of choice for women.
"We are committed to fostering a culture of genuine equality and opportunity for women at Clayton Utz," he said. "We are working hard to find new ways to help create an environment that will maximise women's opportunities to succeed and advance their careers."
In particular, Mr Fagan said the introduction and availability of flexible working arrangements had been well received and had had a positive impact on the retention of women at the firm.
"A number of our female staff have been promoted while on maternity leave or while working part-time, including to the partnership. This shows that flexible working arrangements do not limit opportunities for career progression at Clayton Utz."
Following the introduction of a formal Working from Home policy, a number of staff - both legal and non legal - have been able to balance their family and work commitments through working from home arrangements. These include several senior lawyers, a regional HR manager, and the entire team of eight word processing operators in Brisbane, some with previously long commutes or childcare responsibilities.
A large percentage of women at Clayton Utz also works part-time or under job share arrangements.
Earlier this month Mr Fagan formally launched MOMENTUM, a national network for Clayton Utz' female lawyers to support them in building successful careers at Clayton Utz.
"MOMENTUM is an important part of our commitment to being an employer of choice for women so we continue to attract, grow and retain Australia's most talented female lawyers," said Mr Fagan.