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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-09-28 Daily Xml
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FATHERS

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (14:48): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. In light of September's celebration of Father's Day, will the minister provide the chamber with details on how the South Australian government is supporting men to combine work and family obligations?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:48): I would like to thank the honourable member for his question. As you are aware, Australians right across the country celebrate Father's Day at the beginning of September each year. This is a day when we can all reflect upon the significant contributions that our dads have made to our lives. However, Father's Day can also serve as a reminder that, for many dads, the basic need for quality time with family can be a distant wish rather than a reality.

As we are all too aware, increasing work demands means that many people are working longer hours, while traditional approaches to work organisation mean that many parents are giving up important aspects of family life to meet their job obligations. In fact, each year Australians work more than two billion hours of unpaid overtime, while the 2010 report of the Australian Work and Life Index (a measurement tool for work-life balance) found that South Australian partnered fathers work the longest average weekly hours (45.6 hours) in the country.

Since 2007 South Australia's Strategic Plan has included Target 2.12, 'Work-Life Balance: improve the quality of life of all South Australians through the maintenance of a healthy work-life balance'. South Australia leads the nation as the only state to demonstrate its commitment to work-life balance in its State's Strategic Plan.

SafeWork SA is the lead agency for South Australia's Strategic Plan work-life balance target and has worked with key stakeholders across public and private sectors to develop a strategy in support of it. SafeWork SA, through this strategy, has worked with employers to promote legislation that supports work-life balance and to develop a business case for employers to implement flexible work options.

One area of legislation is the commonwealth's Fair Work Act 2009, which provides a set of basic minimum employment standards for the private sector called the National Employment Standards. SafeWork SA's work-life balance strategy has supported the response received from employers to the National Employment Standards, which now provide fathers and mothers the right to request flexible work arrangements if they are the primary carer for a child under six years of age or a disabled child under the age of 18.

SafeWork SA has also promoted public consultation on the Australian government's proposal to introduce two weeks of paid leave for dads to take time off work to spend with their newborn babies.

From 1 January 2013, the Australian government's paid parental leave scheme will be expanded to include a dedicated payment for dads and other partners. Eligible working fathers and other partners will have access to two weeks dad and partner pay at the national minimum wage, which is currently $589.30 a week.

Further to this, one of the major projects of my ministerial advisory committee on work-life balance is examining how the quality of part-time work in South Australia can be improved. In the workplace, some male employees can be uncomfortable requesting flexible work arrangements, particularly in workplaces where working part-time is often seen as being less committed to the business.

To this end, the Quality Part-time Work project is working with employers to make part-time work a high productivity and high satisfaction option that is accessible for both men and women at all levels, including management.

The government remains committed to South Australia's Strategic Plan target on work-life balance and this commitment is firmly demonstrated by the continuation of this target in the 2011 update of the plan, which was announced by the Premier earlier this month. Ongoing work towards this target will ensure that all parents, fathers and mothers alike, receive the support they need to fully participate and contribute in their families' lives.

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