The Advantages Of Paid Parental Leave In Australia

An article written by The Financial Times says the benefits have been received by more than 1. 2 million carers since the scheme began. The article claims there has also been an uptake in both men claiming the two weeks leave and an increase in productivity seen by business due to sought after female staff being able to return to work.

There are a lot of advantages of paid parental leave; some of these benefits include improvement of employee productivity, reduction of infant mortality rates, improvement of maternal mental health, and promotion of self-sufficient families. Various studies reveal that providing paid parental leave is not only good for organizations but also reduces turnover and increases worker retention which assists companies to evade the cost of having to train and even hire workers to replace the ones in parental leave. Many tech companies in Australia have widened their parental leave program after finding out that women who take paid maternity leave tend to return to work feeling happier and productive. According to these companies, the cost of offering paid parental leave is lower than the cost of hiring and training new workers. Based on the findings of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, it is evident that paid parental leave plays a considerable role in reducing infant mortality. According to this organization parental leave results in reduced infant mortality, fewer premature births, and improved child health outcomes. Studies reveal that every extra month of parental leave is associated with approximately a 12 percent reduction in infant mortality. The main explanation for this trend is that in most cases women tend to return to work early leaving their children in the care of family members or childcare professionals who may not be familiar with the child's health needs hence making the child vulnerable to a variety of illnesses. Furthermore, provision of paid parental leave help keeps Australian families economically self-sufficient. This program keeps families especially from low-income classes afloat financially as they prepare to accommodate the financial burden of the newborn.

Paid parental leave help minimize child care expenses which in most cases exceeds even the college expenses. It is vital to know that paid parental leave is a valuable differentiator as organizations look for new methods of attracting top talent. Companies should provide parental leave despite the gender orientation to ensure that the primary caregivers spend some quality time with their newborns. According to a study conducted by a group of scholars at the University of Maryland, it is evident that parental leave not only improves parents' mental health but also reduces the risk of postpartum depression. The study explains that maternity leave allows parents especially women to adjust to the new changes hence consequently decreasing the risk of postpartum depression.

Australian national paid parental leave scheme plays a huge role in addressing the female/male wage disadvantage. The plan ensures that primary caregivers are paid their wages for 18 weeks just like their counterparts at work. It is crucial to know that paid parental leave not only improves employee productivity but also promotes the economic security of the parents who take parental leave since it allows them to maintain their income flow. Paid parental leave also inspires parents who have had babies to keep their relationship and attachment to the labor force; hence profiting the employer by minimizing staff replacement and retraining costs. Moreover, paid maternal leave helps parents handle direct expenses or costs of having kids, particularly the increased costs which is incurred during the birth of the child. Another topic that was discussed with the interviewee was regarding who was eligible for the Paid Parental Leave payment. The interviewee responded that the scheme is available to all biological parents of a newborn child and parents that have recently adopted a child. An article written by News. com. au supports her claims but gives much more information on exactly who is eligible. The article explains that workers must be employed for at "least 10 out of the previous 13 months and worked at least 330 hours in that 10-month period, with no more than eight weeks between work days". It also says that workers must have an income of $150, 000. Another entitlement the article touches on is benefits while away from work. Those claiming parental leave still accumulate annual and sick leave while way, but only if they are not receiving the government's Parental Leave Pay.

In Australia, paid parental leave is usually restricted to permanent workers who have long-term contracts. However, fields with vast proportions of casual workers and women such as hospitality and retail are less likely to provide paid maternal leave. Employees who are eligible to paid maternal leave should know their rights and most importantly make plans for the future so that they do not compromise the time they need to spend with their children and also their finances. Australian Government Paid Maternal Leave Scheme provides that for employees to be eligible for the leave, they must have been at work for approximately ten-thirteen months before birth and worked for about 300 hours during that period. Some of the entitlements which workers are required to receive during the paid leave include the sick and the annual leave. However, the National Employment Standards also provides that employees are entitled to up to twelve months of unpaid maternal leave as long as the worker has been with the employer for over 12 months.