Kingston Council is proud to be leading the way as the first Victorian metropolitan Council to introduce a shared parental leave policy.
The initiative allows both parents of children born after 30 June 2022 to access up to 104 weeks parental leave, including 16 weeks paid leave.
Kingston Mayor Steve Staikos said Kingston Council is committed to making positive changes to bring about a safe and equal society.
“Every workplace, including local Councils, can play a role in making gender equality a reality across our workplaces and in our communities,” Cr Staikos said. “This is an important step to ensure support is being provided to all new parents within our organisation.”
“Kingston recognises that both parents have equal responsibility to care for their child. Shared parental leave provides parents with the opportunity to spend quality time with their newborn and support each other in the vital early weeks and months.
Kingston Council recognises that inequalities exist between genders and hope this new approach will help to remove harmful gender stereotyping that contributes to gender inequality. “We are implementing this support as a commitment of Kingston City Council’s Gender Equality Action Plan 2021 – 2025 and as a way to show leadership in advancing gender equality and influencing inclusion in our workplace and the community that we serve,” Cr Staikos said.
The move follows the release of the Parents at Work white paper, the Federal Government announcing proposed changes in the 2022-23 budget, and similar policies being enacted by corporates such as Westpac, Deloitte, Spotify and others.
Under the new policy partners can manage their leave flexibly and apply for it in the same way as annual leave. This will provide flexibility and further support in balancing family needs. The entitlement and conditions for the primary carer are unchanged and remain consistent with Federal Government law.
Kingston CEO Peter Bean said the change was an important part of the organisation’s commitment to being an employer of choice. “We are keen to attract and retain highly-qualified staff and provide them with the support to excel. This new initiative is making it easier for new parents to manage caring responsibilities while continuing to develop their careers.”
