At CGW we recognise our people are our most important asset and that every person is an individual with different needs and commitments. It is this approach that has allowed us to be awarded an Employer of Choice for Women citation from the EOWA in 2009 & 2010. 

Part of ensuring we are a high performing culture with a strong people focus is our balanced approach to performance across areas including finance, people, process and clients. Included in this are realistic chargeable hours expectations. Our goal is to be a leader in flexible work practices even though more than a quarter of our team members are already on some form of flexible work arrangement. We are proud of what we have achieved so far in this regard, but we plan to go further.

Team members on flexible arrangements are represented in every team and include partners, associates, managers, solicitors and team members in support roles. Just some of the arrangements in place at the moment include:

• Working full time hours, but starting and finishing at different times
• Working part-time in the office, either a few days/ week or five days/ week with shorter hours each day
• Purchasing extra annual leave to use for family responsibilities
• Telecommuting
• Working part-time in the office and at home with flexibility with when the work is actually performed
• Working a week-end day in exchange for a week day off each month
• Working casually or part-time to allow flexibility for university studies.

All of our team members are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, daughters or sons. We understand the importance of family and that balancing work and family is not always easy. We also understand that there are a range of other personal responsibilities including study, sport etc that also need to be balanced with work commitments.

At CGW we:

• Provide six weeks paid parental leave to the primary care-giver after 12 months continuous service and eight weeks after three years of continuous service
• Provide two weeks paid parental leave to the non-primary care-giver after three years of continuous service
• Offer flexibility in the length of parental leave approved
• Offer team members the opportunity to buy additional annual leave to suit changing circumstances
• Offer short work days on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve to provide team members with the best opportunity to enjoy those special times with their loved ones
• Provide flexibility around university or similar commitments.

While CGW has a strong flexibility focus, CGW treats each flexible arrangement individually as the success of arrangements like those mentioned above are unique to the team member and the work team. Therefore we always need to work with each other to determine the relevant personal and business issues associated with any arrangement. While we will make our best efforts we cannot always guarantee team members can access a flexible arrangement.