walaj

According to an article on the Beeb news website, the UK is very near the bottom of the table when it comes to maternity pay in Europe, and appears mid way for maternity leave.

However, for Australia this women do not receive any statutory maternity benefits, and receive a government allowance of £285

Not very family friendly!

What are the experiences of working mothers in Oz and maternity leave?

I suppose they have never heard of paternity leave?

mashiraz

You can have longer off and return to same job - up to a year Ii think. Our mate in Adelaide thought terms were far more favourable than UK.

Mash..

Perth Helena

One year's unpaid leave is the norm here but some workplaces have some paid benefits. I believe these are mostly, if not all, in the public sector. There doesn't seem to be much support from the private sector - a matter of who pays? and small businesses can't afford it. Easy for the govt sector to come up with money. A company I worked for recently - a big bank - has unpaid paternity leave. Not very long (a week I think) but at least dads don't have to use all their holidays if they want to stay at home for a bit.

There's family tax benefit for families with kids. You can earn quite a bit and still get some help for stay at home mums. You can go to: http://www.familyassist.gov.au/ to see what's available - most social benefits related to raising kids are available to new arrivals - no 2 year wait. For not being "family friendly" Australia's birthrate is up there. Higher than many of the European countries with generous paid leave.

pommie bastard

You want paid to breed we will not have that in Australia , it is being talked about but you would be very lucky to get it as of now.
Every benefit is means tested here so the trick is keeping below the required levels or you get sod all , not a great system but its the Australian way .
If you are out of work for any length of time the goverment will give help with rent , but none at all with a mortgage very strange?