Date
Carer support
The Treasury recognises that all carers have the same rights, choices and opportunities as other Australians, regardless of age, race, gender, disability, sexuality, religious or political beliefs, cultural or linguistic heritage or differences, socioeconomic status or locality.
The Treasury’s carer support framework includes:
- a non-discriminatory definition of family in the Treasury Workplace Agreement 2011-14 recognising relatives by blood, marriage, strong traditional or ceremonial affinity and genuine domestic or household relationships;
- a range of family-friendly working arrangements such as access to information about child-care and school holiday care, access to a carer’s room, access to carer’s leave and accreditation as a breastfeeding friendly workplace;
- employees are able to utilise accumulated personal leave to care for sick family and household members, or a person they have caring responsibilities for. Employees may also access unpaid carer’s leave to care for or support family or household members or if an unexpected family or household emergency arises;
- access to an employee assistance program. The program provides a free professional and confidential counselling service to assist staff and their immediate family members experiencing work-related or personal problems;
- onsite childcare facilities for Treasury staff in the Abacus Childcare and Education Centre which is managed by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. The centre offers 143 child care places with a total of 65 children from Treasury families in care at the centre at 30 June 2012;
- part-time and flexible working arrangements. At 30 June 2012, 11 per cent of Treasury staff worked part-time. Both male and female employees use part-time work to enable them to balance work and personal responsibilities; and
- access to job-share arrangements and home-based work which help Treasury staff to balance work and personal commitments.