Independent AU/NZ PR agency, Thrive , has revealed its unique policies for parents in the workplace in an effort to call upon the government to reform the childcare system after this weekend’s election.
Thrive’s policies include two months paid parental leave at full pay in addition to the government’s 18 week paid parental leave scheme; access to paid childcare funding to cover childcare costs up to $150 per day; and parking near the premises for mums to be in their third trimester of pregnancy.
In addition, the company throughout its sixteen year history has comitted to delivering a range of supportive services, including flexible appointment scheduling for prenatal parents visiting the doctors, flexible return to work times and working hours to juggle commitments, and a willingness to accommodate children in the workplace if childcare is unavailable.
“Thrive is a workplace that recognises the importance of working parents. We are doing everything possible from a culture and financial perspective to get more women returning to rewarding careers at Thrive and to help them transition them back into the workplace,” Thrive founder and MD, Leilani Abels said.
“Thrive values working parents. Our policies demonstrate that we care and understand the unique pressures of working parents,” said Abels, mother to a one year old son.
Thrive management however, has been flabbergasted at the tax implications and complexities of introducing these policies and the company argues that the government needs to introduce substantial reforms.
“Thrive’s parenting policies currently incur FBT (fringe benefits tax) and there are no rebates when a business pays for childcare. It is a costly exercise, and when you are not a major corporation, it is a significant investment,” Abels said.
“There are no government incentives for a business to support parents and in fact, we are penalised and taxed. The current system discourages businesses to invest in working parents in women who are important to our economy and Australia’s future and that needs to change.”
