Let’s Talk About Flex, Baby! Good Flex and Fair Futures in Work and Retirement.

Helen Hewett was a founding member of Women in Super, a titan in the superannuation industry, and someone who fought for equality and social justice all her life. To pay tribute to Helen's significant contribution to the superannuation industry, to mental health and to women, the annual Helen Hewett Oration spotlights current relevant researchers and their projects.

Australian women retire with lower superannuation balances than men, exposing them to financial insecurity. This reflects ongoing gender inequalities in the labour market, workplace structures, and unpaid care. Professors Elizabeth Hill and Rae Cooper explore how access to high-quality flexible work could offer more equitable outcomes, supporting women’s career and retirement security while warning against low-quality flexibility. They argue that achieving “flex-security” requires coordinated action from employers, unions, and governments.

Professor Rae Cooper, AO, FASSA, Director of the Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion at Work at the University of Sydney is a leading expert on workplace policies and labour market structures. She researches diverse issues including how industrial relations institutions and practices shape job quality, the experiences of women working in very male-dominated occupations, sexual harassment in the workplace, and workplace flexibility. Her work highlights the need for policies that ensure flexibility is paired with job stability and income security, which are crucial for closing the gender retirement gap.

Professor Elizabeth Hill is Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion at Work at the University of Sydney, co-convenor of the Australian Work and Family Policy Roundtable and co-convenor of the Body@Work Project. She is a leading researcher on how economic institutions shape women’s paid work, unpaid care and the care workforce. Her focus on work-family policies and the impact of unpaid care on women's careers directly aligns with the event’s theme. Professor Hill’s research emphasises how improving access to high-quality flexible work can support women’s ongoing participation in the workforce and secure financial outcomes in retirement.

If you are in Melbourne, join us for drinks and canapes.