New fathers will be given incentives to shoulder more of the work in raising young children in a bid to force a cultural change that keeps mothers in the workforce.Credit:iStock
The work will help decide a new federal law that will change an existing regime that offers two weeks of leave to secondary carers – mostly men – but is only taken up by about one quarter of eligible fathers and partners.
Taskforce chair Sam Mostyn said the increase in the “use it or lose it” provision was a key goal to ensure the expanded scheme achieved the economic goal of keeping more women connected to the workforce rather than expecting them to take all the leave to care for new children.
“It’s an economic reform as well as a great opportunity for cultural change,” she said.
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“The best consequence would be a cultural change that would accept that both parents would be engaged in raising children and we’re not relying solely on a mother taking leave.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Women Katy Gallagher have asked the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce to make theparental leave advice a priority so the law can be put to parliament next year and the rules can change from July 1.
While the rules cannot force people to take the paid leave,the key question is whether to encourage them to take four weeks or six weeks out of the expanded total of 26 weeks in a “use it or lose it” approach that prevents them transferring the leave to the primary carer.