Introducing our new
parental leave policy

We have recently updated our Parental Leave Policy to provide parents with additional support after welcoming a new child into their family. 

Investing in our people is critical to Essence’s identity and signifies our commitment to our people and their families. 

Our new parental leave policy includes the following: 

• 12 weeks of paid leave and 26 weeks of superannuation payments regardless of the gender of the primary carer.
• 4 weeks of paid parental leave for secondary carers.
• Leave can be taken flexibly within six months of the child’s arrival, including birth, adoption, and surrogacy. 
• Continual one-on-one meetings throughout parental leave so team members can stay connected.
• Flexible return to work options.

CFO Caitriona Circosta, who led the charge, said,

‘I feel incredibly proud to share that we have increased the benefits of our parental leave offering. We recognise that starting a family often happens around the same time as careers accelerate, and we want to support our employees to do both, with flexible return-to-work options and ‘keeping in touch’ days available to keep connected.’

Managing Director David Nicholas said,

‘This new policy reaffirms our commitment to support our employees and their families. As a people-first organisation, we must support our employees as they navigate those irreplaceable early years of a child’s life.’ 

Finance Manager Sarah Evans, who has been with Essence since its inception and is expecting her second child, commented

‘I’m proud of how far Essence has come in such a short time. Of course, as a young company, providing extended parental leave wasn’t easy; still, they recognised this was important for their employees, so they took the necessary steps to make it happen.’

The new paid parental leave policy is part of a launch of employee benefits that provides a flexible and supportive environment for our employees at all stages of their lives.