AMA calls for a review of the 12 month qualifying period for mothers for paid maternity leave in the medical workforce
Parental leave arrangements have come a long way due to women's advocacy over decades.
The increasing role of fathers in the first year of a child's life has also seen maternity leave rights be shared with fathers under parental leave provisions in public sector awards in Tasmania.
AMA Tasmania welcomes the State Government's new standard conditions for parental leave in all public sector awards.
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Primary Caregiver: 18 weeks of paid parental leave.
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Secondary Caregiver: 4 weeks paid parental leave at the time of the birth.
* An additional 12-week parental leave if the secondary caregiver takes over primary care responsibilities within the first 18 months of the child's life.
Dr Annette Barratt, Vice President AMA Tasmania, adds, “however, we believe there needs to be a review of the twelve-month qualifying period for mothers for paid maternity leave in the medical workforce.
“Doctors continue to train in their speciality areas for five or more years after completing their five-year medical degree and twelve-month internship.
“As registrars, they are a mobile group and are required to broaden their skills by going interstate to complete specialised training they cannot do in Tasmania; some then return pregnant but are ineligible for paid maternity leave.”
Pregnant doctors who give birth before the expiration of their twelve months qualifying period are not eligible for paid maternity leave.
AMA Tasmania has had doctors who have been unable to access maternity leave due, for example, to being within three weeks of the expiration of the 12-month qualifying period.
“This is effectively penalising women based on an arbitrary timeline and can lead to potentially harmful outcomes for both the doctor and their baby if they are forced to return to work faster than the physical recovery time needed.”
AMA Tasmania calls on the government to review their maternity/parental provisions as a good workplace policy that considers other arrangements, such as allowing for paid parental leave under the twelve-month qualifying period but requiring that person to stay within the Tasmanian health system for a fixed period or have to pay the parental leave entitlement back.>>>ENDS
