Do they all....

[CMCandAmelia]

Do all jobs offer Maternity Leave?
I feel a bit rude asking my work about it
I work in an aged care facility (if that helps)

[waterlily]

No, most don't actually. There is a government maternity leave coming in in January next year though. You will need to ask your work most give you unpaid maternity leave.

[CMCandAmelia]

Thanks for your speedy response, ill just have the bite the bullet and ask :)

[Nimrodel]

Not sure about other states but in NSW maternity leave is a legal requirement. If you have worked somewhere continuously for 12 months or more (casual or permanent) you are entitled to up to 52? weeks unpaid leave.

Paid leave of course is an entirely different think which is optional for employees to give and as someone else who works in aged care and knows how stingy the industry is with pay etc, getting PAID mat. leave is highly unlikely to happen IMHO!!

When I had my booking in appointment at the hospital last week one of the handouts I got was from the NSW Dep of Commerce called 'Maternity at Work'...very useful book and answers all those legal questions.

ETA: Just did some google-hunting after I noticed you are in QLD and found this for you.

http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/61317/Parental-Leave-fact-sheet-new-template.pdf

[mimsie]

Yep the unpaid leave part in NSW is true, they have to provide that but there is no obligation to provide paid maternity leave. I used to work for a paper and none of the sales or administrative staff had access to paid mat leave, it had to be unpaid after 12 months service. A lot of girls left when they were thinking of starting a family because of it. The editorial staff (journo's) got paid maternity leave after 3 years of continuous service.

[jesk84]

Do all jobs offer Maternity Leave?
I feel a bit rude asking my work about it
I work in an aged care facility (if that helps)

Hi there, congrats on your pregnancy, not sure if I am a little late in replying, but I work for an aged care faciltity in queensland called spiritus and we are entitled to 9 weeks full pay or you can choose half pay. It would be worth an ask, the only requirment they have is you must be perm or full time and must have been there for 12 months before you take your leave, eg you might have been there a year on feb 12 so once that date is up you can go on leave on say feb 12 and you would be entitled. Hope this helps you:)