APESMA welcomes leave
June 22, 2010
APESMA has welcomed the
introduction of the paid parental
leave scheme which passed
through Parliament last week.
The union said that the scheme
would be of particular benefit to the
“female dominated community
pharmacy” sector “where unlike
many other industries, few
employers offer any sort of paid
maternity leave arrangements”.
The new scheme provides
eighteen weeks of leave for an
infant’s primary care giver, whether
they be casually, part-time or fulltime
employees.
Eligible women will receive
$543.78 (standard minimum wage)
per week from their employer (prepaid
by the government) with an
income test of $150,000 to be
applied to the primary care givers’
previous financial year taxable income.
To be eligible the carer must have
been engaged in work continuously
for the past 10 - 13 months prior to
the expected birth or adoption and
have undertaken ar least 330 hours
of paid work in that 10 month
period (an average of one day a
week paid work).
“It is important to note that the
new scheme is designed to
enhance the existing family friendly
arrangements that many employers
already offer and not substitute
them,” said The Pharmacy Division
of APESMA’s senior industrial
officer, Jacki Baulch in a statement.
Baulch also acknowledged the
Pharmacy Guild’s reticence about
community pharmacy owners
administering the scheme,
admitting this would not only be
“onerous” but it also would
increase costs; however APESMA
said that overall the scheme would
be beneficial for families and
businesses.
“The new scheme will also assist
employers to retain highly skilled
staff and allow mothers time to
bond with their babies without
financial stress forcing them back
to work too early,” Baulch said.
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