Work environment wins accolades
Hot
on the heels of its success as Employer of the Year in the Public Sector
category of 2005 Australian Council of Commerce and Industry and
Business Council of Australia National Work and Family Awards, UniSA has
been named an Employer of Choice for Women in SA.
Announced at the end of February, UniSA was one of only seven businesses and organisations in SA to win recognition from the Federal Government’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency.
For Shona Mathieson, an employee at UniSA for the past eight years, the award comes as no surprise.
“It is an extremely supportive work environment – not only because it has good provisions for maternity leave, but because you feel encouraged to achieve here,” she said.
“I started out on a short-term contract for a single project but that led to full-time work and then an opportunity to study at work with a partial reimbursement of fees and real flexibility, such as time off for exams.”
Already holding a Bachelor of International Studies, Mathieson began a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and Management to build new skills relevant to her role in student recruitment at UniSA.
After getting married a few years ago she took maternity leave in June 2004 and returned in November 2005.
In that time she took 16 weeks paid maternity leave and a further 12 weeks on half pay. And with baby Amber in her life, Mathieson said she was grateful for the staggered return to work where for the first few weeks she came back to her role three days a week but on full pay.
“I love my job and I think what is great about UniSA is that the
excellent conditions mean you feel valued,” she said. “In return I am very
loyal to the institution and I think the University gains by having people
on board who have experience, skills and commitment.”