Justitie · Pregnancy discriminationPregnancy complaints hit a reported decade high as Australian workers fight to keep jobsGeschreven 19 oktober 2026 om 00:39 UTCKijkenTranscript0:07Australian workers need 12 months with their employer to qualify for statutory0:11unpaid parental leave.0:12Pregnancy discrimination complaints have reportedly reached their highest level in0:16more than a decade.0:17Workers describe losing wages and careers while preparing for a child or returning0:21from leave.0:21Will the government's workplace review change the rules that leave newer employees0:25without that entitlement?0:26Abby McCauley was five months into a rental property manager job at Ray White0:30Brunswick in Melbourne's inner north.0:32She says she disclosed her pregnancy and requested temporary flexibility to work0:36from home.0:37Her employment ended soon afterward.0:38Macaulay says she took two days off to manage morning sickness.0:42When she returned, she couldn't log into her computer.0:44Her boss called her into his office and dismissed her.0:47She alleges pregnancy-related dismissal.0:49Ray White Brunswick says it terminated her employment over reported and observed0:53behavior.0:53Her case is before the federal court.0:55Alicia Warner says she accepted voluntary redundancy after Home Affairs rejected her1:00proposed return from parental leave.1:02The former senior executive wanted to work full-time compressed hours.1:06Fitting the same total hours into a different schedule.1:08Mediation ended without agreement.1:10Home Affairs says Warner's role changed after the Bondi terrorist attack and1:15required sustained executive leadership.1:17Warner connects her departure to the rejected working arrangement.1:20The department points to the demands of the changed role.1:23Those competing explanations leave a dispute over whether she could combine her1:26established public service career with parental responsibilities.1:30The Australian Human Rights Commission's pregnancy discrimination complaints1:33reportedly reached their highest level in more than a decade.1:36JobWatch received more than 600 calls from working mothers about pregnancy and1:40related discrimination in the period described as the last financial year.1:44The exact commission total and its reporting year aren't clear.1:48Complaints record allegations so the increase alone can't tell us how much1:51discrimination has changed.1:52JobWatch's calls can include repeat callers and people who also complain elsewhere.1:57The two measures can't be added together to produce a count of affected women.2:00JobWatch says pregnancy and breastfeeding discrimination inquiries doubled over2:04three years.2:05It published that finding on December 12th, 2025.2:08The Community Legal Center supports workers in Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania,2:12giving it a three-state view of demand for help.2:14That trend includes breastfeeding inquiries.2:16It doesn't identify the financial year behind the separate 600-plus call figure.2:20And JobWatch's service figures describe people seeking its help across those three2:24states.2:25They don't measure discrimination across every Australian workplace.2:28In 2014, 49% of mothers reported discrimination connected with pregnancy, parental2:34leave, or returning to work.2:36That's approximately one in two.2:38Among mothers who reported discrimination, 91% didn't lodge a formal complaint.2:42Those figures describe experiences reported in an older survey.2:46They can't tell us today's prevalence or how many employers broke the law, but they2:50show why complaint totals can capture only part of workers' experiences.2:54Confidential settlements also limit public scrutiny.2:57Fifteen women interviewed about these disputes said they'd signed confidentiality3:01clauses and settlements.3:02Employees need 12 months of continuous service with their employer to qualify for3:06statutory unpaid parental leave.3:08That includes eligible regular casuals, meaning casual employees working on a3:12regular and systematic basis.3:14Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody wants that threshold reconsidered.3:18The service requirement applies to unpaid parental leave.3:21Eligibility for the government's paid parental leave scheme is assessed separately.3:25Australia also has workplace discrimination protections and the Federal Sex3:29Discrimination Act, introduced in 1984.3:32A worker's access to leave and an employer's legal obligations over discrimination3:37are separate issues.3:38Zanna Bythaway leads JobWatch as its executive director.3:42Anna Cody is pressing for reform of workplace policies and leave eligibility.3:46Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth says the government is considering these issues3:50through its review of the National Employment Standards, Australia's Minimum3:54Employment Entitlements.3:55Cody's concerns include indirect discrimination, where a workplace rule can3:59disadvantage pregnant workers or parents.4:01Existing law already lets eligible pregnant employees request flexible working4:05arrangements.4:06Employers can refuse requests covered by that framework only on reasonable business4:09grounds.4:10Employees have a right to request flexibility, while approval depends on the4:13circumstances.4:14Rishworth referred the inquiry into the operation and adequacy of the standards on4:18November 27, 2025.4:21A parliamentary announcement on March 25th, 2026 scheduled a public hearing for the4:26following day.4:27That announcement gave a hearing date without setting a deadline for reform.4:30A settlement's confidentiality clause doesn't tell us whether an employer admitted4:34liability.4:35Macaulay's employer disputes her allegation, and her court case has yet to resolve4:39why she was dismissed.4:41The government is considering the eligibility concerns, but there's no confirmed4:44timetable for changing the threshold.4:46Employees still need 12 months of continuous service to qualify for statutory unpaid4:50parental leave.Lees het artikelTijdlijn van het verhaalHeyDexDe korte video ↗
