Carers NSW
Carers NSW has welcomed today’s announcement from the Federal Government relating to the inquiry into unpaid leave options for carers of senior Australians.
The announcement states that the Productivity Commission will examine the merits of unpaid leave allocations for all workers who need to care for an older relative or friend and undertake a study of employment models across the aged care sector.
Carers NSW Chief Executive Officer, Elena Katrakis, commended the announcement.
‘We welcome today’s announcement from the Federal Government regarding the Productivity Commission inquiry into leave allocations for carers of senior Australians,’ Ms Katrakis said.
‘The immense pressure on informal carers has only continued to increase during the past two years of the pandemic, and the need for greater flexibility and support for carers in the workplace has never been more important.
‘It is a significant piece of work that the Productivity Commission will undertake and we are optimistic that the end result will be improved conditions and support in the workplace for informal carers across Australia.
‘We are also pleased to see carers of people with disability and illness included in the Terms of Reference for the inquiry, and wish to stress that any additional leave entitlements should be open to all carers, regardless of the age or condition of the person they care for, in line with the definition of carers under the Commonwealth Carer Recognition Act 2010.’
Respondents to the Carers NSW 2020 National Carer Survey who were balancing caring responsibilities with paid employment indicated that they often used annual and personal leave to care, potentially limiting the opportunities available to them for rest and recuperation, and for attending to their own health needs. Additional carer’s leave has the potential to benefit many of Australia’s 1.4 million employed carers.
‘Carers NSW greatly looks forward to contributing to the inquiry and urges the Productivity Commission to ensure that a wide range of carers and employers are included in the process,’ said Ms Katrakis.
