For all its creative edge and cultural influence, the media and advertising industry has long struggled to accommodate working parents.
A recent survey from not-for-profit group The Village revealed that 70% of parents in media have considered leaving the sector entirely, a data point that’s less about personal burnout and more about systemic failure.
In response, Publicis Groupe ANZ is moving beyond surface-level slogans to roll out tangible support, aimed at retaining and empowering one of the industry’s most vital (and vulnerable) talent groups: caregivers.
Alysha Maybury, Activation Director at Spark Foundry and Carers Collective, with her family
Making care visible at work
Central to Publicis Groupe’s renewed people-first strategy is its Carers Collective, a new employee action group.
The initiative is designed to give visibility, support, and practical solutions to the diverse cohort of carers within the network, whether they’re parenting young children, navigating elder care, or juggling both.
“I feel extremely motivated to be the first lead of this group,” Alysha Maybury, Activation Director at Spark Foundry and Carers Collective lead told Mediaweek. “Ensuring all carers feel heard and supported is something I’m deeply passionate about.”
While the group celebrates strong existing policies for returning parents, its broader focus is on supporting employees caring for ageing parents, siblings, pets and everyone in between.
“You shouldn’t have to be two different versions of yourself. You are free to show up at work as you are,” Maybury added.
Davy Rennie, CEO of Digitas Australia and Executive Sponsor of the Carers Collective said he sees this as a necessary evolution: “You’ve got your personal aspirations, career aspirations, and then there are your aspirations as a parent. It’s a tricky balance, and it’s something we’re very much focused on.”
For Rennie, this isn’t just theory.
He shares a candid moment from a recent workday: “I got to my son’s school and realised I had sunblock all down my leg because his bag had burst. I had to run straight into a meeting. But that’s the point, these moments happen. We have to create space for people to ask for help and show up, sunscreen and all.”
This view is echoed by Jessica Farrell, GM of People & Culture at Publicis Groupe ANZ, who stresses the importance of leaders modelling these realities. “When I need to work from home due to a family emergency or sick kids, I say so out loud. It shows people these aren’t exceptions, they’re normal.”
Davy Rennie, CEO of Digitas Australia and Executive Sponsor of the Carers Collective and his daughter
Turning strategy into structure
These values are reflected in the group’s wider work model, Publicis Liberté, which encourages employees to “work your way, with us.”
For Maybury, this translates to practical day-to-day flexibility: “I can leave work early or work from home to be there for my boys. My manager never questions where I am or why I need to leave. The trust works both ways.”
Other initiatives include Cub Care, which offers five additional leave days to both primary and secondary carers, and a Secondary Carer Swap benefit, allowing parents to change caregiving roles within nine months of a birth or adoption.
Publicis Groupe’s efforts have earned it Family Friendly Workplaces certification, external recognition of its commitment to supporting work-life integration.
“We know that over 40% of our workforce identifies as parents or carers,” said Farrell. “Our DEI survey tracks who our carers are and how supported they feel, by their manager, their agency, and by Publicis.”
Farrell points to her own experience, being promoted shortly after maternity leave, despite working part-time and living on the Central Coast, as an example of what genuine support can look like.
The goal isn’t to fix everything overnight, but to create meaningful, structural change that supports employees across life stages.
“We want to build a workplace that celebrates and normalises caregiving,” said Rennie. “Retention is critical. It’s about smooth re-entry from parental leave and a culture that listens.”
Jessica Farrell, GM of People & Culture at Publicis Groupe ANZ and her family
A business case for belonging
There’s also a commercial logic underpinning these moves.
In an industry where talent churn is high and competition fierce, building a culture that supports life experience isn’t just good ethics, it’s good business.
For Farrell, it all comes down to accountability and legacy. “When I leave this business one day, will I be proud of the legacy I’ve left?” she asks.
“That legacy starts by putting the right policies in place, having the right leaders around the table, and holding everyone, ourselves included, accountable for creating inclusive environments.”
Meanwhile for Maybury, who’s spent her decade-long career at Publicis across two continents, two maternity leaves, and countless personal milestones, the approach has been a lifeline.
“The autonomy I’ve been given to perform my role while caring for my children has been invaluable. The leadership team at Spark Foundry and my direct team know that my family will always come first, and they support me every day.”
As media organisations grapple with how to retain talent and build cultures that reflect the world outside their office walls, Publicis Groupe’s approach may offer a blueprint.
Sure, it’s not a quick fix. But in embedding family-conscious strategies into the DNA of its network, the group is making a clear bet: that supporting working parents isn’t a burden… it’s a business imperative.