Unions NSW pushes for reproductive leave in National Employment Standard reform

One state’s peak union body is pushing for a huge change in the leave entitlements guaranteed to Aussie workers.

NSW’s peak union body is pushing for government reform on workplace rights after a new report found 81 per cent of workers were impacted by reproductive issues.

Unions NSW is gunning for 10 days’ paid reproductive leave, flexible working arrangements, and workplace adjustments for workers experiencing a range of reproductive health concerns.

“The aim for us is to get it as a National Employment Standard, and also to make sure that our state governments include it in the public sector, so across the board,” Unions NSW Gender Equity Officer Karen Willis said.

The National Employment Standards are the minimum employment entitlements for employees in Australia, regardless of award, registered agreement or employment contract.

“We want to ensure that all workers have access to reproductive leave when they need it, the same as something like sick leave or family violence leave.”

Unions NSW is the peak union body that is affiliated with major state unions, including the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

From December 2024 to January 2025, the peak union body surveyed more than 1000 workers about their experiences managing their reproductive health.

Almost half reported a lack of reproductive leave negatively impacting their health, with 41 per cent delaying medical treatment because they were unable to take leave from work.

“People are left feeling that they can’t take the leave without pay because they can’t afford it, or just don’t have any leave left that they can take,” Ms Willis said.

“That’s when people start thinking ‘I’ll leave it for a couple months until I accrue a few more days’ leave.’

“Then, in the meantime, they experience further bouts of severe pain and illness, which isn’t just painful, but could deteriorate their existing condition.”

More than 90 per cent of workers said that reproductive leave, flexible working arrangements, and adjustments would help them manage reproductive health issues, the report found.

Ms Willis said the entitlements would signal the government takes reproductive health seriously. Picture: Supplied

“We saw during Covid that the capacity to have flexible hours and work from home arrangements dramatically increased people’s ability to manage chronic conditions and symptoms,” Ms Willis said.

“Choosing between your health and your job is not a position we should be putting workers in.”

Ms Willis said reproductive leave parameters should be defined by someone’s incapacitation in getting to or doing their work, similar to existing types of leave, rather than specific conditions.

“With sick leave, we don’t prescribe - whether you have a cold, bronchitis, or if you have a sprained ankle, you can take the leave.

“With reproductive leave, it is similarly so personal and so different for every single person.

“For someone that has experienced sexual assault, for example, it could take a few days to really recover from the triggers that are caused by invasive preventive practices.

“For another person, that is a routine five-minute pap smear at the doctor’s office.

Ms Willis said the lack of reproductive leave forces workers to choose between their “health and their job”. Picture: NewsWire /Gaye Gerard

“The idea of reproductive leave is that you “don’t have to explain yourself. You can just say ‘I need to take some reproductive leave. And this is how long I need to take.’”

Some Australian employers offer forms of reproductive leave including the Victorian Women’s Trust, Sustainability Victoria, the Victorian public sector and the Queensland public sector.

Ms Willis said enshrining reproductive leave as an employee entitlement would mean respecting the fact that reproduction is “a big issue in all adults’ lives.”

“The bottom line is that for most people, reproductive leave might be taken a few times over a lifespan,” she said.

“For others and a smaller group of others, it’s going to be a lifesaver in terms of them being able to maintain a full-time job while dealing with some fairly severe pain and illnesses that result from their reproductive role in society.”

Originally published as Unions NSW pushes for reproductive leave in National Employment Standard reform