New ANU parental leave benefit and an idea for the next one

ANU management celebrated International Womens Day by extending employer superannuation contributions to its parental leave scheme. Last year the university introduced 26 weeks leave on full pay for primary carers. And now the university announces up to 26 weeks of employer superannuation contributions to staffers taking unpaid parental leave.

“We know that women typically spend more time away from the workforce and, on average, retire with 46.6% less superannuation than men. This is something we can change – and we must change if want our campus to be a place of inclusivity and equality,” Vice Chancellor Brian Schmidt says.

The National Tertiary Education Union thinks this is a sound-idea, ACT secretary Rachael Bahl calls it, a “warmly-welcomed,” “sector-leading initiative.” Ms Bahl suggests the university work with the union to incorporate the new benefit into the ANU enterprise agreement.

The union also suggests ANU extend overall access to paid parental leave, which is now available to permanent and fixed-term staff with 12-months plus service. “We believe that all staff deserve employer paid parental leave. Adopting a policy whereby all staff are entitled to employer paid parental leave will demonstrate the University’s commitment to becoming a family friendly community and an employer of choice for women,” the union’s Women’s Access Network states.


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