Paid parental leave for public sector employees

5/4/03
All public sector employees will be entitled to six weeks' paid parental leave from July 1 this year, Consumer and Employment Protection Minister John Kobelke announced today.
"The extended entitlement will be a matter of policy and has been introduced well ahead of the timeframe announced last year by Premier Geoff Gallop," Mr Kobelke said.
"Dr Gallop announced last July that an entitlement of at least six weeks' parental leave would be available to the State's 110,000 public sector employees within two years.
"There is heightened community interest in the issue of paid maternity and parental leave and it is significant that the entitlement will apply to parents, not just to mothers.
"Fathers will be eligible where they are the primary care giver.
"The six-week entitlement is a first step in a Government commitment to extend this provision, over time."
It is estimated that the total cost of providing six weeks' paid parental leave across the public sector will be $13million a year, to be paid from existing agency budgets.
This initiative is consistent with the Government's work and family initiatives and its submission to the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner in September 2002, which supported the introduction of national paid maternity leave for all women in employment.
About 60 per cent of public sector employees are already eligible for up to six weeks' parental leave.
Minister's office: 9222 9211