Report Reinforces Benefits of Paid Parental Leave

An independent evaluation of the Australian Government’s Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme has found the support it gives to new mothers has led to improved staff retention and better physical and mental health for new mothers, Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Scott Morrison said today.

“The PPL Evaluation: Final Report looked at the impacts of the scheme on workforce participation, the health and development of mothers and babies, gender equity and the balance between work and family life,” Minister Morrison said.

“The evaluation shows that PPL is delivering benefits for families, and it is helping women to get back to work after they’ve had children.

“It also identified benefits for employers, with working mothers who receive parental leave pay much more likely to return to their same employer than they did before the introduction of a PPL scheme.

“The PPL is an important component of our Government’s support for families, and the results of this evaluation are confirmation that the scheme is providing more opportunities and choices for families.

“The uptake of the scheme has been successful, with over 521,000 mothers receiving parental leave pay.

“Eligible mothers are able to receive support when they take time off work to care for a newborn or recently adopted child. Working mothers are eligible to receive 18 weeks at the rate of the National Minimum Wage which is currently about $641 per week before tax.

“The Coalition Government is continuing to develop our families package to ensure we can further help families and parents stay in a job, get in a job, and give their kids the best possible start in life,” Minister Morrison said.

The full evaluation reports will be available at https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/programmes-services/paid-parental-leave-scheme/paid-parental-leave-evaluation.