b'PEOPLE| LEGAL SECTOR| 2019SUSTAINABILITY INSIGHTFLEXIBLE WORKING Flexibility has become increasingly important to AusLSA member employees as workers seek to balance competing life opportunities and priorities. More and more Australian companies are successfully adjusting the way they work and the systems they have in place which allow people to contribute effectively and efficiently with more time and location flexibility. The technology to support flexible working has improved dramatically over the last five years and the provision of flexible working has become widespread. This has in turn led to flexible working being increasingly considered as a core expectation for both working lawyers and partners. Introducing flexible working has become one of the most effective methods of helping law firms to retain key talent while helping employees to continue their career, whilst also meeting their personal commitments. Flexibility is linked to a wide range of organisational benefits, including attracting new talent higher individual performance reduced absenteeismimproved organisational performance and higher retention productivity. Flexible working also has a significant impact on gender equality in the workplace. Female workforce participation rates have grown from sixty-five percent to seventy-four percent between 2015 and 2019. More women in the workforce emphasises the need to accommodate the responsibilities shared by both women and men in family life. Flexible work policies encourage the sharing of family responsibilities.Having someone who requires care disrupts the career paths of the higher proportion of women who provide home based caring. This can drive a reduction in the participation of women in the workforce, including law firms, between the ages of thirty and fifty-four. Australian state-based law societies have been active in helping firms to deliver improved flexibility for their practicing members.The Queensland Law Society has developed a Flexible Working Group The Law Society of New South Wales has published online resources on flexible work The New South Wales Bar Association has a number of resources on its website Victorian Women Lawyers have published Flexible Work Protocolsa best practice guide for productive and engaged legal workplaces. The Law Society of Western Australia has adopted the Victorian Women Lawyers Flexible Work Protocols. Comparison of Flexible WorkingAusLSA MembersAll Legal ServicesAccountingAll ProfessionalAustralian Industry Services Policy100% 89% 83% 72% 57%Paid Parental Leave97% 82% 58% 77% 81%Paid Parental Leave - weeks 16 (related to tenure) 11 11 9 10Secondary Carers Leave 97% 80% 67% 57% 42%Source: WGEA Comparison tool FORMAL POLICY PAID PARENTAL LEAVEYes 100% Yes 93% No 7%22'