With school and college students back this week, we’d like to say a special thank you to all public sector workers who make education happening.
To all those parents and those with caring responsibilities – make sure you stop and smell the roses. We know work is just a part of your life, and family comes first. The juggle is hard – drop-offs and pick-ups and working these around your job, or that dreaded call from childcare when your little one is sick.
There are many special moments like your child starting school for the first time in kindergarten, when their uniforms and school bags look about three times too big, to when your young teen takes further steps towards independence when they embark in high school or college.
If this is you, we hope you can pause and enjoy these moments.
Making life easier for families
The Public Sector Unions Wages Agreement is looking to ensure you have more time to care for these important people in your life. In the recent Agreement union members won improvements to your rights and conditions to make your life and work better.
Paid Parental Leave
Primary Caregiver: 18 weeks paid parental (providing an additional two weeks).
Secondary Caregiver: 4 weeks paid parental leave at the time of the birth.
An additional 12 weeks paid parental leave if the secondary caregiver takes over primary care responsibilities within the first 18 months of the life of the child.
Paid and Unpaid Grandparent Leave
To support primary caregivers, TSS grandparents who are primary caregivers will be entitled to paid Parental Leave: 18 weeks continuous paid parental leave where the grandparent has primary responsibility for the care of a newborn or newly adopted grandchild.
Further including the 18 weeks paid parental leave grandparents acting as primary caregivers are entitled to 52 weeks continuous unpaid leave where grandparents assume primary care giving responsibilities in respect of the birth or adoption of a child.
Foster Leave
Creating a new entitlement of 10 days paid leave per year to support foster carers, recognising diverse family arrangements.
Aboriginal Kinship relationships
Amend the definition of immediate family to recognise significant Aboriginal kinship relationships for the purpose of access to personal (carer) leave, and compassionate and bereavement leave.
