Workpants for Workplaces

workplace career counselling

what we do

We support parental leave programs with personalised career counselling to help employees navigate the career twists and turns of becoming new parents. We also run group workshops for employees and leadership teams.

Many people describe themselves as fundamentally different after becoming a parent, and after time away from work, they're often meeting a new workplace too. It's natural for employees to experience career uncertainty.

Our service is delivered by qualified practitioners and designed to support folks to navigate this transition and develop life-long strategies for managing their careers.

our story

I’m a little thing,

watch me grow!

Hello, I’m Ali. I have a story to tell you.

It was 3 a.m. and I was up nursing my newborn. I was on parental leave and the job I had hoped to return to had disappeared - sleep was also elusive.

I was also on my phone with the Canva app open, trying to design a logo - the one you're looking at with the jazzy green pants forming the high crotch of a W. If you could read my tired mind, you'd see thoughts of how many other parents were also losing sleep over work worries.

the challenge

Millennial workforce + parenthood

How many other parents might need career support? Here are the numbers:

75% of the workforce will be Millennial by 2025.
84.4% of new mothers are Millennials
Around 300,000 babies are born in Australia each year (this number doesn’t include an extra ~100,000 babies who are lost early 💔).
Parents often experience discrimination at work.
Millennials didn’t widely or consistently receive career support during their formal education.

Everyone else

25%

Millennials

75%

the workforce is

looking quite parental

where we fit

we’re hanging

out here...

employee

wellbeing

learning & development

diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI)

“It was great at getting me to draw out my own solutions which was empowering.”

- Lidia

how we do it

We use theory

Our approach draws from established career theories. These theories help participants explore connected career-influencing systems such as family, identity and society. They also help individuals plan for change and uncertainty, and use these moments as opportunities.

It’s confidential & virtual

Sessions are confidential and can be accessed even before a pregnancy has been announced. This supports a safe non-judgmental environment and a productive relationship built on trust. Our virtual approach means we work with people far and wide in a flexible way that suits them.

We’re qualified

All our career counsellors hold a graduate certificate in Career Development or higher. We are all members of the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA) and uphold the professional standards of our industry.

Sessions are virtual.

We're qualified members of the CDAA.

The focus is career.

Sessions are confidential.

Happy mothers day line art. Mother and daughter line drawing

We have lived experience.

It’s a safe space.

why we do it

Supporting parents has a ripple effect

Taking a career break and returning to work is hard - even with a supportive workplace. We want to help parents thrive, empowering them with the tools they need to nurture their careers while they raise families.

It’s leading practice for workplaces

It’s great to offer paid parental leave and even better to support employees returning. WGEA defines this as leading practice for parental leave programs.

Paid parental leave is a significant investment

While the cost of not offering paid parental leave is arguably greater, it is a significant workplace investment where value can be maximised by providing extra career support across the transition.

"I walked away from the session feeling happy, motivated and ready to put some changes in place."

Sometimes we’re there to listen, and sometimes we’re there to help develop solutions. Either way, our aim is to support people to manage their own careers.

Mathilde

helping leaders

Workshops for people leaders

Leaders have a special role to play in the parental leave experience. To help them understand the parenting experience and deliver the right kind of support for employees on this journey, we built a special workshop centred around a board game - it’s a playful approach to a big topic!

workshops

These are virtual and delivered by a qualified practitioner. Here are some popular topics (with many others on the list or a custom session to fit your needs).

Finding your way through a parenthood identity crisis

Career strategies for handling uncertainty

Life check-in

Many people describe themselves as fundamentally different after becoming a parent. After time away from work, they often face a new workplace too.

In this session we explore these shifts, and what you can do to find your way through.

It’s great for new parents.

This is the career education we should have covered at school. Uncertainty is ironically quite certain in careers (and life). In this session, we look at ways you can find your way through. It’s great for people who:

- feel like everything is out of control

- want to get better at navigating change

- are going through a period of uncertainty

This is the exciting version of New Year Ruminations.

This session uses career theories to explore the influence of career on life (and vice versa) and looks at ways to make some design tweaks to craft your life a little bit more on-purpose.

It should leave you with a little pep in your step.

who we are

We bring valuable skills and experience to create a service with impact. Firstly, we have lived experience as parents with corporate careers. We also bring backgrounds spanning career development, education, learning design, marketing and communications, employee experience, wellbeing, reward and recognition, people analytics, human resources and talent acquisition.

Ryan McGrory

Wellbeing Expert