Tom Atallah's parental leave journey

Tom Atallah, Senior Legal Counsel, recently returned from three months primary carers’ leave spent with his daughter Georgie. Tom talks to us about his time off and how it shapes his overarching experience with Scentre Group.

My wife was pregnant when I was made redundant from my previous job. That employer had a parental leave policy so our family plans had included me being able to take time off when Lauren returned to work.

When the job came up at Scentre Group, I was really excited about the company, the team and the role. I immediately felt like this company was the place for me.

Having been looking forward to taking parental leave, I checked Scentre Group’s benefits package and was really pleased that it was so generous. Obviously, part of that was because I wanted to have the time to spent with my child, but also, knowing that Scentre Group has this kind of policy reinforced my initial feelings that Scentre Group was going to be a supportive and positive workplace.

I was open about my family situation during my interview and the leaders brought me onboard knowing that I had a big life change coming, which I think says a lot about their understanding and care for their team members as individuals.

When the time came and Georgie, my first child, was born, it was amazing.

Lauren took parental leave, before deciding to return to work when Georgie was coming up to about 10 months old. I then took three months primary carers’ leave and stepped into Lauren’s shoes.

Georgie and I had a full routine with swimming lessons, baby gym and trips to the park. We had such a great time together, it was really special and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Beyond that, I think my time at home supported Lauren’s transition back to work because the change was limited as I kept Georgie in the routine she was used to – I even learnt how to cook from baby cookbooks! I was also there to ease Georgie into a new routine at daycare when the time came.

I stayed connected with my team while I was away and their support when I returned made me feel really positive about having taken the time to enjoy an important life moment, without any concern that it would negatively impact my career. The benefits of our parental leave policy also continued with one off additional personal leave for when Georgie gets ill and the offer of family focused training sessions.

Of all the things that Georgie and I did together during my leave, the highlights were at home in the afternoon playing with blocks on the mat. I realised that all the monotonous daily tasks that you try to rush through when you’re working, are really enjoyable when you have the time. That’s the gift that our parental leave policy really gives you – time – and nothing is more important than that.

I’m so grateful to the business for not only having our parental leave policy but encouraging people to use it and being genuinely supportive when they do. Parental leave is just one example of how Scentre Group genuinely cares for its people and creates the place for us to thrive both in and out of the workplace.