MEN’S UPTAKE OF PARENTAL LEAVE IS RISING BUT STILL LOW
Australia offers the least generous Government Paid Parental Leave Scheme amongst the OCED countries at just 7.6 weeks full-time equivalent pay. All OECD countries, except the United States, provide nationwide paid maternity leave. Over half also offer paternity leave to fathers right after childbirth.
Paid parental leave—for use by both parents—is now available in 23 OECD countries, but uptake by fathers is low.
Fathers are more likely to take paid parental leave if encouraged by “daddy quotas” or bonus months.
In Australia, approximately only 1 in 50 fathers take paid parental leave according to OECD data. According to Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) latest Gender Equality Scorecard for 2016, Australian reporting organisations (non-public sector organisations with 100+ employees only) reveal that:
- 48.0% of organisations offer paid primary carers’ leave averaging 9.7 weeks paid primary carers’ leave as a minimum
- 36.2% offer paid secondary carers’ leave averaging 1.5 weeks paid secondary carers’ leave as a minimum
- 52% of organisations offer NO paid parental leave payment.
- 62.9% of organisations have either a policy and/or strategy for flexible working arrangements
- 53.5% of employers offered non-leave based measures to support employees with caring responsibilities. The most common non-leave based measure was breastfeeding facilities (28.7%).
- 8.3% offered coaching for employees returning to work from parental leave.
- 5.1% of employers offering on-site childcare
- 4.0% of employers offered a return to work bonus
- 3.1% offer employer-subsidised childcare
For more information, see WGEA industry data, comparisons and latest paid parental leave submission.
Read more:
Call for 12 weeks of paternity leave to address gender pay gap
Can fathers afford to take parental leave?
