Retailers support move to alleviate parental leave administration
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has voiced its favour of the Coalition’s move to alleviate retailers from the unnecessary burden of having to act as administrators of the paid parental leave scheme.
ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said retailers were in full support of Government-funded paid parental leave but said the red tape associated with acting as paymasters of the scheme and the added business costs to retailers were pointless.
“This is the second time a move to reduce the regulatory burden imposed on retailers to administer paid parental leave has been made in Parliament. Not only does the current legislation mean retailers take on extra business costs, it is also unnecessary given there are more efficient methods of administration for such a scheme,” Zimmerman said.
“Retailers are already grappling with extra business costs associated with regulatory burdens, not to mention poor trading conditions and consumers under more stress than ever, and are struggling to find resources at the end of the day to ensure they’re innovating as they should be as the engine room of Australia’s economy.”
He said the government cannot introduce such a scheme and then ‘pass off’ its processing, especially not to vulnerable retailers and small business owners.
“The proposal to remove the burden is a logical one when the payment can come directly from the Family Assistance Office to the employee,” Zimmerman said.
What do you think about the obligations associated with the paid parental leave scheme? Have your say below.
Helen Hull is the editor of First 5000, the leading network for mid-sized businesses in Australia.