Paid Parental Leave Scheme Policy
The Australian Newsagents’ Federation welcomes and is supportive of a Paid Parental Leave (PPL) Scheme, recognising the importance of the PPL scheme as a key plank of Australia’s social framework intended to enhance the wellbeing of new born and adopted children and their parents.
Whilst supportive of the scheme the ANF believes that employers should not be required to carry to the role of the Government’s paymaster under such a scheme.
The potential cost burden and disruption to small business is disproportionately large arising primarily from the administration of payments, maintenance of records, adhering to compliance obligations, reporting requirements and necessary upgrades of payroll and other administrative systems.
Further, the impacts to the retail sector, and especially newsagents will be more acute, where a greater proportion of women of child bearing age are employed and where lower income and part-time working primary carers are likely to extend or maximise their leave.
The ANF believes that despite the Productivity Commission’s estimates in its 2008 report a low probability of an average small business being affected by these obligations in any year, the disproportionately high disruption and burdens identified for small business in having to carry out the paymaster function may inadvertently lead to the discrimination of women perceived to be eligible or likely candidates for the PPL scheme.
The ANF calls on government to ensure that Centrelink through its current payments system to administer direct payments on behalf of small businesses under the PPL scheme.