Maternity leave stalls promotion
Ben Schneiders; 4/6/08
Women who have taken paid maternity leave in the federal public service have been much less likely to be promoted in the following years, research by the Australian Public Service Commission has shown. Federal public servants have had paid maternity leave since 1973 and have among the most generous provisions in Australia, with up to 12 weeks’ paid leave. The Maternity Leave Act also prohibits them from being discriminated against in employment or promotion decisions. But the research, included in a Productivity Commission submission on paid parental leave, found women who took leave in 2000-01 were much less likely to have received promotions in the next six years.
See: http://www.theage.com.au/national/maternity-leave-stalls-promotion-20080603-2lci.html
One-year pay offer
4/6/08
A recruitment company has started to offer its employees paid maternity leave of up to one year, as pressure grows on the Federal Government to introduce a national scheme. Recruitment company Slade, which has about 100 employees, is offering $100 a week for up to 52 weeks for women who have been with the company for at least two years, equalling about $5000 a year — equivalent to the baby bonus. Female employees with four years or more service are eligible for $150 a week for up to a year. Men are not eligible for any paid parental leave. The approach is different to the model most groups are pushing for, of 14 weeks’ leave paid at the minimum wage.
See: http://www.theage.com.au/national/oneyear-pay-offer-20080603-2lcj.html