Sefiani enhances employee leave policies
Independent agency Sefiani Communications Group has unveiled a suite of new and enhanced employee leave and hybrid workplace policies that reflect the changing needs and aspirations, life stages and cultural backgrounds of its current team and up and coming PR talent.
Sefiani’s Parental Leave Policy includes up to eight weeks of paid parental leave for a primary care giver together with up to 12 weeks of continued superannuation contributions. Up to two weeks of paid leave is also available for the secondary carer.
The agency has also introduced paid pregnancy-related leave entitlements for employees who are pregnant or taking steps on their path to pregnancy. This includes up to five days per annum of additional personal leave for fertility-related treatments and up to ten days per annum in the instance of miscarriage. Partners are also recognised with up to five days of paid leave in the case of a miscarriage.
Sefiani, which employs 18 professionals, has also formalised a Flexible Working Policy enabling team members to be located anywhere in Australia or spend extended time overseas with family while working flexibly for up to four weeks.
In recognition of the growing diversity within its team, Sefiani has launched a Public Holiday Swap policy giving team members the option to swap national and state public holidays for other days of cultural or religious significance.
“As an independent, mid-sized agency we are proud to be able to support our team of high-performing professionals in such generous, yet important ways,” said managing director Mandy Galmes.
Galmes explained: “The past two years have caused many people to take stock of what they want out of their careers and working lives. Agencies must respond to these changes to attract and retain talent. When you put people first and create a happy and engaged team, the rest takes care of itself. Our new Parental Leave and Flexible Working Policies ensure that our people remain very much at the heart of our business.”
In a move that signals the next phase of the agency’s evolution and growth under the leadership of Galmes, who was appointed to her role last November, Sefiani has also refreshed its agency positioning, adopting the umbrella moniker Agents of Change.
“Sefiani has built a strong reputation for creating ideas and telling stories that advocate for positive change. Agents of Change was therefore a natural place for us to land, indicating a shared ambition for our people, our clients and our work,” said Galmes.
Sefiani founder and CEO Robyn Sefiani commented: “Sefiani is long-known for taking on complex work, helping organisations and individuals achieve positive change for a better future.
“Work we’re proud of includes legislative change to criminalise intimate image abuse; anti-bullying advocacy and reputation rebuild for Quaden Bayles; de-stigmatising intellectual disability through our work with Special Olympics Australia; and now actively supporting the Women For Election campaign for better gender equity in government at all levels,” said Sefiani.
“Sefiani was also one of the first communications agencies in Australia to launch a Sustainability Practice. We recently supported EY’s launch of the Net Zero Centre to advise and assist Australian organisations on their transition to decarbonisation and a move towards net zero emissions by 2050.
“Our new positioning of Agents of Change reflects the breadth of what Sefiani is capable of and the ambitions we have for our people and clients,” said Sefiani.
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