There remains a high level of concern for balancing work and care responsibilities amongst AEU women, and the What AEU Women Want survey results reveal that while many have accessed a number of various entitlements over the past 5 years, there is still a lack of knowledge in the workplace of policies and conditions available to support employees, with over 50% saying the conditions are “not well known”. Further, 14% of women said they had attempted to access entitlements for work-care reasons and had been refused or had difficulty with their requests.

The most common forms of entitlements women are utilizing are those relating more to the care or bereavement of family rather than child-birth. Emergency/carers' leave had the highest access just above compassionate/bereavement leave. Permanent part-time work also was readily accessed which could indicate use for both reasons of care and perhaps transitions to retirement.

Where examples of good work-care balance initiatives were cited, they mostly rested around the supportive attitudes of leadership and of modelling good balance and communication. Some are trialling or considering quite unique ways to achieve flexibility, such as using DOTT time to drop off and pick up children from school and the implementation of a 9 day fortnight. Others focused on collegial welfare and personal health strategies.

This workshop is about providing information about entitlements available across the country, assistance to ensure women can access what they are entitled to and a commitment to promote theses policies more broadly so colleagues are also empowered to achieve a better work-care balance.

AEU Productivity Commission Submission
AEU Policy Women Working in Education
AEU Position Arising Flexible Work Options
ACTU - leaflet "Paid Maternity Leave long overdue" and Fact Sheet "Paid Maternity Leave" A New Employment Standard in 2009".