The University is offering a new, 20 weeks of paid parental leave for the primary carer or new born children. This will mainly affect Dads who are the primary carers but also other non-traditional parents.
The 26 weeks for the birth mother and adoptions already in place remains. The University has indicated that they wish to hold the 6 week difference only for women who give birth. The CPSU asked how this would work, and why this was being proposed for all ‘other’ primary carers even when the birth mother wasn’t an employee of Charles Sturt University. The University representatives will bring the Equity and Diversity manager to the next EB to explain.
Despite this difference, the CPSU are not going to oppose any increase to paid parental leave being made available to Dads and other primary carers! Providing paid parental leave to fathers has been identified as also a key factor in promoting greater pay and superannuation equity for women.
As more men take responsibility for children and this responsibility is shared between both parents, the promotion opportunities for women increase, the time off required for child care becomes more equitable, the superannuation accrual becomes more equitable. More women lose out because more women take time off work, career breaks and take on the primary role of caring for the family which impacts on income, promotions and superannuation.
By encouraging men to share the family responsibilities early, this becomes less and less inequitable. By giving men more paid parental leave, not only do more men benefit but more women benefit too!