Parental Leave

The NSW PSA is now seeking your views on mat leave

NSW PSA to launch major mat leave campaign

With the new developments at the Australian Catholic University, Wollongong University and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's upcoming report into paid maternity leave, the time is right to improve the situation for parents in the NSW public sector!

What issues will
we be pushing?
· Improving the amount of paid leave for a parent giving birth to or adopting a baby;

· Equalising entitlements for birth and adoptive parents;

· Establishing paid parental leave for fathers/partners;

· Payment for public holidays while on paid maternity/adoption/parental leave;

· Allowing parental leave can be taken at the same time as maternity/adoption leave;

· Introduction of paid pre-natal leave

· Taking account of anti-discrimination law by providing parental leave to same sex parents;

· Allowing paid parental leave to be counted as service for incremental progression & accrual of leave;

· Allowing a variety of payment options for parental/maternity/adoption leave - fortnightly as normal, lump sum payments or half pay;

· Extra leave for employees with existing caring responsibilities - FACS leave and sick leave to be made available during time an employee is on parental leave if there are already children in the family or in the case of multiple births;

· Maternity/parental/adoption leave to remain available in the event of still birth or death of the child shortly after birth/adoption;

· Maternity leave entitlements to be transferable to other parent in the case of the mother being unable to care for the child as a result of ill-health, death or other similar circumstance;

· Right of return to work part time only to be waived under exceptional circumstances;

· Removing requirements for 40 weeks service before an employee can access maternity/adoption leave - should be proportional to percentage of 40 weeks worked;

· Maternity/adoption leave - paid and unpaid - to count as service for purposes of incremental progression and accrual of leave;

· Additional maternity leave to be made available in the event of a multiple birth;

· Provision of paid lactation breaks;

· Provision of paid, improved pre-adoption leave equal to pre-natal leave;

· Introduction of a childcare allowance to assist employees with work related expense of childcare costs;

· Introduction of child rearing leave - unpaid, to be available until the child's fourth birthday;

· Ensuring no career development disadvantage for parents on leave by requiring employers to keep all staff informed of vacancies and training.

· Introduction of foster parents leave.

Email womens@psa.asn.au to get involved in the campaign or call the Women's Unit on 9220-0906. womenswomen@psa.asn.au.

More info will be available in the next women@work and April edition of the PSA Red Tape.

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/campaigns/women/20020225_60.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005