Paid Maternity Leave - Come on Australia Let's Do It!

Australia is one of only 2 OECD countries that still doesn't have paid parental leave (USA is the other one - surprise surprise!).

Kevin Rudd promised that paid leave would be on the agenda when he won office but has claimed the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has now put this on the backburner - but why? Surely this would help struggling parents just as much as any stimulation package???

This is also the view of Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (mother of a 2 year old) who argues in this SMH article for Paid Parental Leave to be a definite in this May's Budget.

Let's support the debate to make sure it is!

http://tinyurl.com/cgdn6w

Southern Cross University Supports Working Women

Thank goodness some organisations are still seeing women as a valuable asset.

FIVE universities were dropped from the 2009 employer of choice for women list last week (albeit due to changes over pay gender equity criteria). Southern Cross University (SCU) was named as a new 2009 Employer of Choice for Women yesterday, as a result of ensuring a fair workplace for working women.

The Development Program for Women offered at Southern Cross University includes a mentoring program, as well as a networking forum hosted by the Equity Services and Human Resource Services.

Mentoring and networking forums - just what we've been offering for years. So listen up all you other organisations that don't currently offer this.

That's what we want. That's what we need.