Miin Chua

Being a mum is a wonderful thing. You watch a little human grow inside of you for 9 months and you create a lasting bond with your little one after they are born. Maternity leave is a wonderful opportunity for working mums to take some time off, and get their lives adjusted with the arrival of a new family member. According to Australia Fair Work regulations, all working mothers are entitled to parental leave. However, the reality is most work places are not going to be the same after the mother’s leave of absence. I have experienced job loss and know other mums who have experienced unexpected changes to their work, and this is because we chose to become mothers. It’s unfortunate to say that the regulations to protect job security for working parents are very lacking in Australia.

There are extremely limited job opportunities for parents who choose to take a break from their professional career after their child is born. A mother can be trained and educated but once they take ‘time off’ to be parents, they will likely not be treated equally by potential employers. In private sectors, the discrimination towards new parents is unregulated and at times, a lot of mothers returning to work are dismissed unfairly.

Mothers who wish to return to work after a long absence from their previous professional careers often have to start from scratch. The Coalition government promised in 2015 to provide jobs for mothers who dropped out of the work force to work as (you guessed it) CARE GIVERS! A brief Google search revealed not only that you have to switch careers, you would also need to be certified in associated care options to be a care provider. The hidden message is even if you’re a neuro surgeon, you have to be re-trained to be a care giver. Never mind the years you spent in the workforce before you became a mum, the gap in your CV is the main thing your future employer will focus on.

Further, even for mothers returning to work, the workplace frequently does not accommodate parents, especially mothers who are still nursing. For example, mothers who are breastfeeding have no designated space to express milk, and mostly have to do this in toilets (!), despite the fact that the Australian Breastfeeding Association provide very clear guidelines for breastfeeding at work.

Fortunately, it’s not all gloom and doom. In 2015, the Supporting Working Parents website was launched by the Australian Government, where your rights are clarified. In reality, many parents are not aware of this website, and for those who are seeking permanent employment (such as myself), a lot of the website’s content does not apply. What can parents and potential parents do? SPEAK UP. Speak up and let yourself be known – do not underestimate the power of social media as an effective communication channel. Society should give mothers and other caregivers a break and more appreciation.

RESPECT. NOW. ALWAYS.

The Australian Human Rights Commission is conducting a confidential, independent national survey of university students to measure the nature and scale of sexual violence. If you get an email inviting you to participate PLEASE complete the survey. Everyone can have their say online!