Suncorp offers workers ‘gender affirmation leave’

Suncorp is offering a generous time off benefit for workers transitioning to another gender, joining a growing list of employers with the leave.

Suncorp, which boasts of having 46 per cent of women in senior leadership positions, is now taking a stand on transgender issues.

The insurer and bank, headed by former political advisor Steve Johnston, is now offering “gender affirmation leave” as one of the benefits for its 13,000 plus employees.

Suncorp workers are now entitled to six weeks’ paid gender affirmation leave and up to 12 months unpaid leave, giving them time to tell their families and friends about a change in gender identity, adopts the style of dress or presentation that better aligns with their gender identity and change their pronouns or name.

The leave also allows for “legal and medical affirmation” that could include legally changing their identification documents and undergoing surgery and hormone therapy.

Suncorp CEO Steve Johnston. Picture: John Feder/The Australian.

While Suncorp says it’s too early to know how many workers will avail themselves of the leave, at least one Suncorp employee has welcomed the change.

Vera Dawson, who went through her own gender affirming process, says the leave will make people more comfortable to share their true identity with their organisation.

“Seeing that Suncorp has this kind of leave entitlement definitely has an impact on how new-starters view, trust, and feel supported by their employer,” Dawson says.

Gender affirmation leave is also offered to employees at ANZ, the ABC and SBS with the union representing Commonwealth public servants also pursuing the benefit.

Clayton Utz says gender affirmation leave entitlements are increasingly being included in enterprise agreements, reflecting new and developing societal norms. Another example is paid climate disaster Leave, which provides leave taken in circumstances where an extreme weather event affects an employee, a member of their family or community they belong to.

Tech gong

Brisbane tech guru Sarah-Jane Peterschlingmann is in the running for a national entrepreneurial gong.

Peterschlingmann, the managing director of cloud-hosting firm ATech, has been named a finalist in the ARN Women in ICT Awards that will be announced in Sydney on May 25. Starting out as a web developer in 2007, Peterschlingmann has grown ATech to become a leading cloud hosting and web development company with multimillion dollar revenues. The company’s local and international client list includes airlines, banks, government bodies and organisations in the transport, real estate, construction and healthcare sectors. Peterschlingmann was among more than 390 nominations for the awards and says she is delighted to be named a finalist as they “recognise an enterprising candidate with a risk-taking mentality.”

Sarah-Jane Peterschlingmann

Atomic energy

Independent media agency Atomic 212° is adding eight new staff to its rapidly expanding Brisbane office, including a group account director and a planning and trading director.

The appointments follow Atomic 212° winning the Entain Australia account – one of the

largest pitches of 2022 – in November. Entain includes the market-leading brands

Ladbrokes and Neds. The new hires lift the number of Atomic 212° staff in Brisbane to 14. The Brisbane agency, which was set up less than a year ago, also works with foundation client Price Attack. Atomic 212° national managing director Rory Heffernan says that in just 10 months, the agency has become a force to be reckoned with in the Queensland. “Our rapid growth in Queensland is testament to the strength of our business model and the very talented people we work with.” Kelly Burnham joins Atomic 212° as group account director, leading the Entain team. Burnham has 13 years’ experience, including leading the Bega client portfolio at Starcom. Other past clients include Suncorp, the Liberal Party of Australia, Michael Hill Jewellers, Super Retail Group and Metricon.

Harry Coffey riding Mr Maestro in the Neds Classic at Caulfield last year.