News

More employers move to make Jan 26 an optional public holiday

Momentum for change has this year swept through the media and marketing industry, as organisations outwardly recognise the complex nature of celebrating Australia Day on January 26.

Following the lead of major corporations that have given their employees the option of working on Thursday, in exchange for an alternative day off, independent and conglomerate businesses alike have been quick to voice their position in various public platforms.

 

Telstra CEO Vicky Brady took to LinkedIn on Monday to share that Telstra would be treating employee’s choice on “Australia Day” as a personal one.

“How each of us recognise and respect the different meanings and complexities of Australia Day is one important part of our reconciliation journey,” she wrote.

“For many First Nations peoples, Australia Day is a painful reminder of discrimination and exclusion. It marks a turning point that saw lives lost, culture devalued, and connections between people and places destroyed.

“At the same time, for many people the day is also a chance to spend time with friends and family and celebrate the many things we can be proud of as a community.”

Paramount Australia and New Zealand has also given its staff a similar choice, with co-leads Beverley McGarvey and Jarrod Villani acknowledging the ““turbulent history” of the date for First Nations people.

In an email sent to staff, the executives wrote that Paramount as an organisation recognised that for its First Nations people, “January 26 is not a day of celebration”.

“We recognise that January 26 evokes different emotions for our employees across the business, and we are receptive to employees who do not feel comfortable taking this day as a public holiday.

“Whether you choose to work on January 26 or take the public holiday, we ask that you reflect and respect the different perspectives and viewpoints of all Australians.”

Yahoo’s Australia Day leave policy follows suit, with the tech giant now offering two floating public holidays in Australia, between January 26, and for its Victorian team members, Melbourne Cup Day.

“We strongly believe in the power of diversity to build better communities and make us a stronger business, and DEI is a hugely important pillar for Yahoo. Our policies apply to every employee at every level and help us better serve the range of communities our employees represent,” said Lani Tweddle, community, leadership operations partner at Yahoo APAC.

The move for businesses to offer staff flexibility that reflects their feelings towards January 26 is one that has spread quickly, and to mixed reception, with conservative cohort’s rejecting the ploy as un-Australian, while many on the other side of the spectrum fear it may be no more than a tokenistic trend.

For businesses navigating the complexities of January 26, it appears to be a difficult balance to strike, however several businesses have managed to take further steps in their commitment towards reconciliation and education.

Speaking to Mumbrella about Keep Left’s recent partnership with First Nations not-for-profit, SharingStories Foundation, founder and CEO Caroline Catterall said the PR and creative agency would remain open on 26 January, giving staff the opportunity to swap the public holiday. For those attending work on Thursday, Keep Left will provide a range of educational activities throughout the day.

The partnership, which consists of a part pro-bono and part commercial engagement, marks an important step in the agency’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

“Our team will benefit from having access to SharingStories’ knowledge and resources, which will help us greatly while we’re in the ‘educate’ phase of our RAP,” said Catterall. “While we’re early in our journey as a company we recognise that reconciliation is a continuous cycle of improvement, and our partnership with SharingStories supports that.”

R/GA launched the We Are Warriors platform on the 26th of January 2022

Creative agency R/GA has also committed to connecting more deeply with the implications of January 26, partnering with Indigenous Social Enterprise We Are Warriors to develop a platform that celebrates Blak excellence and empowers Indigenous youth.

R/GA talent director, Lara Hewitt, commented: “January 26 is a polarising day for many Australians. R/GA empowers our team to make their own choice – with an alternative day offered. This initiative kicked off in 2022 after we ran an R/GAware program, part of our wider iD initiative that champions inclusivity, celebrates our diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives of R/GA. It saw R/GA host a series of experiences and events that helped us learn, absorb and reflect about the Indigenous origins of Australia.”

WAW marks its first birthday on January 26, and is partnering with R/GA and the Powerhouse Museum to host Blak Powerhouse. The events aims to turn a day known for great loss into one of power and positivity for WAW’s community.

Marketing and communications agency, Sabio, has also announced a new Your Date to Celebrate policy, offering employees the option of a ‘floating holiday’ in lieu of the Australia Day public holiday on January 26, as the agency continues to grow its suite of flexible workplace benefits.

Sabio’s Your Date to Celebrate policy offers team members the opportunity to take the annual public holiday on January 26, or on a different date within the calendar year that may have greater significance with respect to the various cultures, values and beliefs held by each team member.

Sabio general manager and proud Waanyi woman, Lauren Faulkner, said the new policy is aligned with Sabio’s focus on creating an environment that supports flexibility, diversity and inclusion. She added that she will be opting out of the January 26 public holiday and will instead take a day off to participate in NAIDOC Week celebrations later in the year.

With so many of the industry choosing to work on 26 January, Mumbrella will be publishing a newsletter tomorrow.

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.