Radio executive admits Perth office has ‘big jar of condoms’ to discourage staff from having babies

An executive for Australia’s largest radio company Southern Cross Austereo has revealed there is a “big jar of condoms” in the Perth office to discourage employees from falling pregnant.

The boss of the company’s two Perth stations Mix 94.8 and Hit 929, Linda Wayman, told a Mumbrella Perth conference that of her 100 staff, a third are either on maternity leave or covering a position for someone who is.

“We do have a big jar of condoms at work. I’m not lying, I’m not exaggerating,” Wayman said.

“I do encourage people regularly, to have sex with condoms.

“That is a big area of focus for me, encouraging people to have sex with condoms.”

Wayman told the audience she tried to support staff who were new mothers but was opposed to legislation entitling them to come back to work in part time roles, claiming the idea was “anti-commercial” and the hours required of radio staff did not allow for it.

“I don’t agree with the union push at the moment that women coming back to work automatically should be allowed to come back part time. I’d love to, but I’d be lying if I said that was wonderful,” she said.

“We try very hard to do that in our organisation but we’re a twenty four seven organisation and with the turnaround times with clients it becomes very difficult from a customer service point of view.”

The company reportedly issued an “Angelina Jolie Award” at last year’s staff Christmas party to the person who had benefitted most from other people’s pregnancies.

The acting brand director had previously held the position of integration coordinator and reportedly received the award because “if women weren’t pregnant then she would not have got this turbo-charged career opportunity”.

Wayman said the idea of easily achieving work-life was “bullshit”.

“We do try to be flexible. We have all sorts of arrangements at our work place. In some industries it’s a very difficult thing.”

She said she wanted spouses to do more to support working women admitting she had offered to “go and shove a vacuum cleaner” up the husband of a female staff member because he liked to go surfing while leaving her to do the house cleaning.

The remarks come ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday.

Southern Cross Austereo declined to comment when contacted.