Peak body the National Retail Association has welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to add an additional six weeks of Paid Parental Leave which will boost women’s participation in the workforce.
Australia has tens of thousands of women who have had to make the difficult choice of taking a step back from their careers to focus on taking care of their families. But now mothers will have access to more leave and greater flexibility where they can take blocks between periods of paid work.
The retail sector is mostly made up of young women and a number of them are young mothers. We welcome the system of balance the initiative creates in encouraging fathers to spend more time at home as well. And single mothers will be entitled to the full leave payable, so their children don’t lose out.
The Government needs to move quickly on the delivery of this initiative so mothers can get back into the workforce where they will grow and contribute positively to economic activity and tax revenue.
The NRA believes that the skills shortage in retail and hospitality could be a thing of the past if more women were able to prioritise their careers, and we thank the Government for its efforts in making this easier.
The National Retail Association is the voice of modern retail, representing more than 60,000 stores across Australia. It has been serving businesses in the retail and fast-food sectors for close to 100 years.
For more information contact the NRA’s media unit at marketing@nra.net.au