At Liberty, our people are our most important asset. With many important initiatives designed to support our workforce, we strive to empower our employees and set new standards in diversity and inclusion.
Liberty is a community that embraces diversity and advocates for equality. This is why we have introduced a range of leading initiatives to help empower women in the workplace.
At Liberty, women comprise 44% of Liberty’s workforce and hold 40% of general manager roles. We’re proud to have achieved a 50:50 gender balance amongst team leaders, and we continue to work towards gender parity across the business. In support of this, our Women in Leadership program offers further guidance for female leaders across the business with advice, training and resources.
Liberty is proudly endorsed by Work 180 – an employment platform which pre-screens employers to see how well they support women’s careers. Work 180 considers policies like paid parental leave, pay equity, flexible working arrangements, employee engagement scores and more.
As part of our commitment to achieving gender equality, we work closely with the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) to monitor and improve opportunities for women across our organisation.
Committed to supporting the wider mortgage and finance industry, Liberty has partnered with the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) as contributors to the Opportunities for Women report and panel discussion events.
We’re always on the lookout for talented new team members and we’re eager to support Australia’s newest graduates. As part of the Grad Girls program, we host new grads of science, technology, engineering and mathematics for up to a month by offering positions to provide an insight into life at Liberty.
For some parents, raising children can require extended periods of time away from work which can impact their career plans and make it difficult to advance in their roles.
At Liberty, we offer primary caregivers up to 52 weeks of leave, with the option to request a further 52 weeks leave. During this time, they will receive 13 weeks of full-time pay and will continue to accrue annual leave, personal leave, long-service leave, superannuation payments and the Liberty health and wellbeing subsidy.
We have also introduced a policy designed to support women and their partners who are undergoing fertility treatments. The policy acknowledges the challenges that couples undergoing treatment face and offer compassion, understanding and support.
We are proud to provide our Liberty parents with the option to bring their kids with them to work during the school holidays for the KidsCo program – providing childcare and education in the convenience of our own workplace.
Where possible, we provide employees with the opportunity to negotiate suitable office hours including the option to work from home. Our advanced IT systems and video conferencing capabilities allow employees to access all information required to perform their duties as normal while maintaining a strong work-life balance.
The Liberty Pride Network helps to maintain a safe environment for members of the Liberty community who identify as LGBTQIA+. The network hosts regular workshops to discuss all issues (both overt and personal) that impact those who are looking for support or guidance regarding these topics. Working toward greater LGBTQI+ awareness and advocacy is a key goal for Liberty, with our Pride Network helping to lead the way.
Liberty holds a regular schedule of guest speakers to share stories from all walks of life. From International Women’s Day and RUOK! Day to hearing from our First Nation’s People – the presentations are designed to help us better understand one another and continue to foster an inclusive workplace.
Our Culture and Community team host a series of World Expo events, which focus on educating all staff on the variety of religions and cultures within the Liberty community. Staff members and external speakers present to the wider company, aiming to raise awareness around cultural heritage, customs and traditions which form part of everyday lives of those within our community.
"From starting out as a young single to getting married and becoming a parent, my life at Liberty has seen many changes. I feel so lucky to have had the support to transition through these stages of life so positively. Liberty’s amazingly generous policies give new parents the opportunity to take the time they need and integrate back into the workplace when ready"
Angela Hildebrand
"It has been exciting to experience the shift that has taken place at Liberty over the last five years, where I have witnessed many talented, capable young women taking on leadership positions. What lies at the heart of this shift is not just promoting women, but mentoring women and building their confidence. This encourages them to put their hand up for roles they may have not thought they were capable of before."
Anjali Crossette
"Liberty has a strong focus on supporting women in finance, and they are very mindful of offering equal opportunities. What’s different about Liberty is that they see every member of our community as a whole person – not just a number. They look outside the box at transferable skills and capabilities and encourage women to advance in their careers and move into new roles throughout the business."
Katherine Roberts