목차
Members ix
Abbreviations and acronyms xi
List of Recommendations xiii
Executive Summary xxiii
Chapter 1—Introduction 1
Conduct of the inquiry 2
Acknowledgment 2
Interim report 3
Interim report recommendations 3
Other relevant inquiries 4
The interim and final report 5
Report structure 5
Chapter 2—Social inequalities and structural barriers in Australian society and workplaces 7
Socio-economic value of care 8
Economic contribution of Australia's unpaid carers 9
'A woman's work is never done … I don't stop (Take care of everyone)' 11
The costs to men of an inadequate system 13
Piecemeal approach, disincentives, and policy tensions 15
Increased workforce participation and the gender pay gap 16
A way forward 19
Chapter 3—Early childhood education and care 21
The current ECEC framework 21
Issues with the current system 22
The need for cheaper and universal childcare 24
The intersection of paid parental leave and ECEC 26
A guarantee for young children 27
Childcare costs and accessibility 28
The for-profit childcare system 30
Childcare deserts 31
Female workforce participation 32
Child Care Subsidy 33
Calls to increase the CCS 34
Government ECEC initiatives 35
Early Years Strategy 35
Current inquiries and reviews 36
Preschool Reform Agreement 36
Inclusion Support Program 38
Preschool reform in Australian jurisdictions 40
Victoria 40
New South Wales 41
Queensland 43
South Australia 44
ECEC access for three-year-olds 45
Childcare during COVID-19 46
Support for early childhood educators 47
Wages and conditions in the ECEC sector 48
Childhood educator wage subsidy 49
Chapter 4—Work and care experiences of specific groups 51
Young carers 51
Identifying young carers 51
Young carers and school 55
Young carers and work 58
Mental health challenges 59
Stigma and isolation 62
Young carer-centred reform 64
First Nations communities 65
Access to early childhood education and care 67
Wrap-around services 69
First Nations workforce participation 71
Supporting First Nations staff 71
Access to care services and support 72
Disabled workers 72
Migrant and CALD carers 74
Structural barriers to employment 76
Access to care supports 77
Workplace exploitation 80
Conditions in frontline jobs in the care sector 81
Chapter 5—The undervaluation and conditions of paid and unpaid care and their consequences 83
The value and conditions of paid care 83
Intersection of formal and informal care 84
Understanding value in the care sector 85
Equity and value in the care sector 86
Wages and conditions in formal care sectors 87
Award structures 88
Skills and classifications 90
Fair Work Commission findings 91
Pay for all hours worked 92
Conditions 93
A sector in crisis 95
The value of informal care 96
Economic impacts of informal care 97
Carer wellbeing and the impact of providing informal care for the aged and disabled persons 99
Recognising and supporting unpaid carers 101
A way forward 106
Chapter 6—Working time: predictable, secure, adequate, flexible, care-friendly 111
Rostering predictability and justice 112
Rostering at major retailers 115
Long working hours 117
The right to disconnect 118
Right to disconnect in aged and disability care 120
Job security 121
Interaction with workplace flexibility 122
Carers are more likely to be in insecure work 123
The negative consequences of insecure work 124
Insecure work makes it harder to arrange and provide care 125
Flexibility 127
A shorter working week 129
Four-day working week trial in Australia 133
The wide-ranging benefits of work time reduction policies 134
Normalising care as part of the working life and sharing the care responsibility 135
Leveling the playing field? 137
Chapter 7—Financial supports and leave entitlements for working carers 139
Access to leave for working carers 139
Paid parental leave 140
Inadequacies with paid parental leave 140
International comparisons 141
Calls to increase paid parental leave 142
Paid and unpaid carer's leave 143
Paid carer's leave 144
Unpaid carer's leave 144
Issues with the current leave system 145
Carer's leave for casual employees 145
Accessing unpaid carer's leave 146
Definitions of 'carer' and accessing carer's leave 149
Leave 'buckets' 150
Income support payments 151
The rate of JobSeeker 152
Activity tests for support payments 154
The tax and transfer system 157
High effective marginal tax rates and high average tax rates 158
Superannuation 162
Women, retirement and poverty 162
Carer credits 164
Chapter 8—Reforming the architecture of the work and care system 169
Whole of government approach 170
Value of unpaid care 171
Early childhood education and care 171
A universal, high quality ECEC system 172
Funding for more ECEC centres175
Early years intervention and preschool accessibility 175
Returning to work: Employment and training programs for carers 177
Work and care experiences of specific groups 177
Mental health and respite for carers 177
Migrants and CALD communities 178
First Nations communities 179
Disabled workers 180
Pay and conditions of care work 181
Paid parental leave 183
Sick, carers and holiday leave 184
Leave 'buckets' 185
Sustaining a work and care system 186
Roster justice 186
Working long hours 188
Right to disconnect 188
Flexibility 189
Job security 191
Gig workers—equal pay for equal work 192
Shorter working week 193
Activity Tests 194
Support payments for carers 195
Reforming superannuation 196
Carer credits197
Data on work and care 197
Government Senators' additional comments 199
Additional comments from Coalition Senators 201
Australian Greens' Additional Comments 209
Appendix 1—Submissions, tabled documents and additional information 215
Appendix 2—Public hearings and witnesses 225
