I’m participating in the Carnival of Breastfeeding today. The theme is ‘Stories’, and you can find my own contribution and links to lots of other great breastfeeding posts. After you read all about the introduction of paid maternity leave in Australia, go check it out!
At present, Australia doesn’t have any type of paid maternity or parental leave. As I discussed in January, it stands out (alongside the US) amongst Western nations. The 2007 election was fought with paid maternity leave in the forefront, and the winning party had promised to implement a scheme.
In September of 2009 the Productivity Commission issued recommendations for implementing paid maternity leave. They suggested that mothers or primary carers receive 18 weeks of leave at $544 AUD (roughly $480 CAD or $427 USD) per week, which is the minimum wage for adults. They also suggested that stay-at-home mothers still qualify for the $5000 AUD baby bonus, currently paid to new families with annual earnings of less than $75,000 AUD.
But then the economy tanked, and the government started dragging its feet.
Finally, two weeks ago an announcement was made on Mother’s Day. In January 2011 Australia will implement paid maternity leave. The scheme is very similar to the one proposed by the Productivity Commission. Primary carers who make less than $150,000 AUD (approximately $132,325 CAD or $117,780 USD) per year will be eligible to receive the adult minimum wage for 18 weeks. Most workers will qualify, since you need only work one day per week over a 10 month period.
If mothers are not able to take the full 18 weeks of leave, a portion may be transferred to their partners. And stay-at-home mothers who qualify will continue to receive the $5000 AUD baby bonus on the birth of each child.
The paid maternity leave will be offered on top of any maternity leave payments offered by employers. Although it’s reasonable to assume employers may reduce maternity pay now that mothers will be receiving government benefits. Here in Canada some employers offer ‘top-ups’, to bring your maternity pay closer to your ordinary pay. No one is making more on maternity leave than they are while working, though, and it’s likely Australian employers would follow suit.
I’m glad that Australia is implementing paid maternity leave. It has been a long fight, and there is still a long wait ahead. All the same, it is a very important step in the right direction for Australian families.
Seriously? I had no idea they had nothing. In fact, I just read something that was talking about countries that don’t offer paid maternity leave, and I’m sure they left that out. Or maybe it was countries that don’t allow leave at all. Must go consult.
It is a very positive step that there will be a form of government funded mat leave here in Australia. It is a bit worrying that the government has not ruled out canceling the baby bonus, as many people use that $5000 to supplement their income after having a baby (although there’s a whole other set of issues attached to that too). I personally hope that a paid government mat leave scheme could help women to be in a position to breastfeed for longer, which would be such a wonderful thing as it is very common for women to breastfeed for a short time or not at all in Australia at the moment.