The importance of family and caring responsibilities is recognised, valued and supported at Flinders.
Our gender-neutral policies and support structures are designed to support staff to undertake individual family and caring needs, whilst continuing to be engaged in University life and thrive in their careers.
Flinders definition of “Family member” includes an immediate relatives by blood, marriage, adoption, fostering, parenting, traditional kinship (including guardian, ward, grandparent, foster-grandparent, step-grand-parent, and in-law relative); or a person who stands in a bona fide domestic or household relationship with a staff member including same sex partner, or situation in which there is implied some dependency or support role for the staff member.
Please see below useful links to a range of parental and caring supports and resources. For further information, contact the People and Culture Business Partnering Team.
Parental and Caring Support Guide
The Flinders Parental and Caring Support Guide is a valuable resource for both employees and supervisors. It offers essential information and tools to help staff navigate the support and resources available at Flinders to balance between work, parental and caregiving responsibilities. It includes a comprehensive checklist for supervisors and staff to assist in understanding the resources and support available at Flinders.
This guide is intended to be read in conjunction with the information and relevant policies and procedures contained within the Flinders University Family and Caring webpage.
Before Parental Leave
Learn more about the wide range of resources available which are designed to provide support prior to commencing parental leave.
To be eligible for paid parental leave, a staff member must have completed twelve (12) months or more of continuous service with the university before the expected date of birth or placement of a child.
For further information on eligibility and entitlement please refer to clause 33.1 of the Flinders University Enterprise Agreement 2023 - 2026.
Note - staff who reach their first anniversary date with the University during the allocated paid portion of primary or adoption leave are also entitled to a balance of payment. For further information speak with your supervisor or contact your local People and Culture Business Partner.
Any full-time or part-time staff member who completes twelve (12) months or more of continuous service with the University before the expected date of birth or placement of a child is entitled to fifty-two (52) weeks’ parental leave. The period of parental leave will be comprised as follows:
Type | Paid Component | Unpaid Component |
Primary Carer | 25 weeks | 27 weeks |
Antenatal | 8 days* | - |
Adoption | 25 weeks | 27 weeks |
Adoption (pre-placement) | - | 5 days* |
Partner | 3 weeks at the time of birth or adoption | - |
Medically defined late pregnancy miscarriage or stillbirth | 8 weeks | 44 weeks |
Death of child during the 24-month period starting on the child's date of birth | - | Up to 52 weeks |
For leave that is Primary Carer, Adoption, or Medically defined late pregnancy miscarriage or stillbirth, the paid component will be the first twenty-five (25) or eight (8) weeks of the total period of leave (as applicable).
Casual staff members who are eligible under section 67(2) of the Fair Work Act are entitled to Parental Leave under this clause on an unpaid basis only. All casual staff members must comply with the requirements of 33.8 with respect to working before the expected birth and resuming employment afterwards.
Understanding the types of leave options available is an important part of planning for the arrival of a baby or placement of a child.
Flinders offers a range of leave to support parents including:
This is in addition to other leave:
Staff may also be eligible for the Australian Government Parental Leave Pay (PLP), managed by Services Australia. More information on this payment can be found on the Services Australia website.
Flinders offers a range of workplace adjustments and supports which may be accessed before commencing parental leave.
The University is committed to providing a working environment which is sufficiently flexible to meet the operational requirements of the University and workload demands while accommodating, where possible, the needs of its staff members.
Options will be made available to modify duties or transfer to a safe job where illness or risks arising out of pregnancy, or hazards connected with the work assigned to the pregnant employee (such as hazardous chemicals) make it inadvisable for the employee to continue in their present duties.
Flinders Flexible Employment website provides further information in relation to procedures, checklists and relevant associated policies.
A short-term disability parking permit is available to pregnant staff from 30 weeks gestation onwards by visiting the Practice Nurse at Health and Counselling. Where a medical condition requires parking support prior to 30 weeks, a written recommendation from a treating medical professional is required. Permits are only valid when displayed with an annual, semester or day permit.
Flinders University offers midwifery support to staff via a midwifery student. As part of their education, midwifery students follow staff members through their pregnancy, birth and postnatal period under the direct supervision of a registered midwife. These students learn about pregnancy, birth and the first weeks at home with a new baby. This helps them understand from in practice more of what midwifery is about and how they can better work with parents. More information can be found here
In the event of an unplanned pregnancy event, contact your supervisor or local People and Culture Business Partner to discuss any required adjustment to leave dates and any additonal support you may require.
Flinders staff are able to refer themselves directly to one of the designated psychologists available through our free Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Our Manager Assist program runs in parallel with the EAP program and is designed to confidentially provide support to people managers. Further information about both programs can be found at the following link.
During Parental Leave
During parental leave, Flinders are still there for you. In this section, learn more about the options available during parental leave.
Staff may wish to keep in touch with what is happening at work while they are away. Keeping in touch days can be used in a variety of ways to keep in touch including, participating in a planning day, attending training or a conference.
More information about keeping in touch is available at the Fair Work Australia website.
A staff member who, for any reason, returns to work after taking less than the full entitlement for primary carer or adoption leave (either paid or unpaid) may apply to take the balance of leave later, however noting that the paid component for certain types of parental leave need to be taken within the 52 week period (from the commencement of Parental Leave).
Please contact your supervisor or local P&C Business Partner should you wish to discuss an early return to work.
Superannuation contributions are maintained by Flinders for paid parental leave. Staff who are members of UniSuper (Flinders default superannuation fund) defined benefit fund have the option to maintain and fund both employer and employee contributions for periods of unpaid parental leave. For further information on superannuation at Flinders as well as links to the UniSuper website is available here.
Returning from Parental Leave
Returning from parental leave can be challenging. Filnders has collated resources to make sure it's easier for you to return.
6 weeks prior to your scheduled return to work, following a period of parental leave, a member our Employment Services (ES) Team will contact you to discuss and support you in your transition back to work. This is an opportune time to ask any questions you may have about returning to work, extending your leave or seeking access to flexible work options.
The University is committed to providing a working environment which is sufficiently flexible to meet the operational requirements of the University and workload demands while accommodating, where possible, the needs of its staff members.
Find out more about our Flexible Employment options.
Purchased Leave, also described as part year employment, is an arrangement whereby staff may take an agreed amount of leave without pay for a number of weeks per year, with their reduced salary then averaged and paid over the year.
Staff sometimes find this arrangement useful to support providing care over school holiday periods or when sharing the care of elderly parents with other family members.
Information regarding purchased leave is here.
There are two community child care centres that operate from Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre sites at Bedford Park:
Another centre operates at Science Park:
Most child care centres have a waiting list for new children. Depending on when you wish to return to work, you may need to put your name on waiting lists for child care centres even before your child is born.
When considering the locations of child care centres and putting your name on waiting lists, think about whether it will be more convenient for your child to be closer to home or closer to work. It may open up more opportunities to consider all the possible options.
Once you are on waiting lists, make sure you follow up with centres on a regular basis - most centres suggest on a monthly basis.
Apart from child care centres, Family Day Care provides another option for child care. Care is provided in a person's home, and providers are qualified educators of children.
Breastfeeding and Parenting Facilities
Flinders supports all employees who wish to combine breastfeeding (which means breastfeeding an infant or expressing breastmilk) and paid work. This applies to all employees and may include employees returning from parental leave, new employees who may be breastfeeding, employees who may be re-lactating and pre-adoptive employees who may wish to establish a milk supply prior to their child’s placement.
Flinders recognises a mother’s need to ensure that work and breastfeeding can be combined comfortably and practically to promote ongoing benefits to the baby, mother and workplace. We strive to provide an environment which will assist employees to integrate work and life commitments.
The needs of the breastfeeding employee are minimal and short-lived, however we want to support women in their desire to maintain breastfeeding for as long as mother and baby desire. We therefore aim to provide a family-friendly workplace that enables employees to balance breastfeeding and their work responsibilities. As individual needs of the mother, carer and baby will vary, we are committed to offer flexible work arrangements that will meet the needs of the employee as well as operational requirements.
Lactation breaks are to be made available to employees to breastfeed (go to the baby or have the baby brought onto campus) or express breastmilk during work hours. The number of times women need to feed or express milk will be determined by the individual needs and age of the baby. The younger the baby, the more frequently a mother is likely to need to do so. An employee working a standard 7.35 hour day is entitled to one or more daily breaks of up to one hour per day (or on a pro rata basis).
Decisions made regarding requests for lactation breaks and flexible work options must be fair, transparent and capable of review. A written agreement between the employee and employer may be effective in this regard, and employees should notify their manager if their breastfeeding needs change or cease, so that any agreement can be amended as required.
If, due to operational needs, there is a need to delay the taking of a lactation break, efforts should be made to ensure that the employee is able to take the break as soon as possible, in order to minimise any risks to the employee’s health or milk supply or the child’s health.
Employees wishing to combine work and breastfeeding should negotiate their conditions as soon as practicable, with their supervisor – ideally this should be done prior to returning to work to minimise the impact this may have on the workplace. Supervisors should provide reasonable flexibility for lactation breaks, and employees should take both the organisational and personal needs into account, with a focus on minimising disruption in the workplace, when negotiating the timing of lactation breaks.
Support from colleagues is crucial to providing a supporting workplace environment for breastfeeding employees. All employees have a responsibility to treat colleagues who are breastfeeding with respect and dignity.
Women are welcome to breastfeed their babies wherever they feel comfortable.
Breastfeeding employees returning to work can seek flexible work options as per the Fair Work Act 2009. All flexible working arrangements are subject to operational requirements.
All facilities can be used by staff and students.
Rooms have fridges, or fridges located in staff common rooms throughout the campus are available for staff to store clearly labelled breastmilk in their closest staff kitchen facilities.
The rooms listed have the following:
Level 2 West Wing 'Parenting Room' (Includes armchairs, sink, hand-basin and change table)
Student Hub
Level 0 near kitchen facilities
Tonsley
Level 0 next to toilets (x12297)
South Ridge Precinct
Engineering Room 312 (x19001 to obtain key)
Physical Science Building
Room 025
Note: Flinders Medical Centre has a breastfeeding room with table and chair and power point and an ensuite bathroom: Ward 4C (room 4A-210).
To access the room University staff and students need to ring the bell, located on the wall above the swipe sensor (a black box on the right-hand side of the door) and be let in by the nursing staff. They will then need to sign in the paper contact tracing form (located at the nurses’ station). This requirement is applicable to all users of the room, regardless whether they are Flinders Medical Centre staff or University – it is a requirement for anyone entering the ward who is not there for working or patient visiting purposes. You will need to ring the bell even if your Flinders Medical Centre staff card opens the doors when scanned.
For assistance with breastfeeding and returning to work or study you can also contact the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA).
You can also contact the Equal Opportunity and Diversity team for any other queries.
Flinders is accredited by the Australian Breastfeeding Association as a Best Practice Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace.
Caring and Support
At Flinders we are committed to providing a working environment which is flexible and responsive to a staff member’s family and caring responsibilities and dedicated to supporting our staff in balancing work and family responsibilities.
Recognising that family extends beyond traditional definitions, Flinders policies embrace a broad and inclusive definition of family to ensure comprehensive support for staff with caregiving responsibilities.
Caring and Support Leave Options
Flinders provides an inclusive approach to staff by providing a range of leave options for children, spouses, elderly parents, siblings, and other loved ones. We recognise the diverse family structures and foster a compassionate and accommodating work environment, that empowers staff to balance their professional and caregiving duties effectively,
Understanding the types of leave options available is an important part of providing support to our staff as they balance their professional and family responsibilities.
Flinders offers a range of leave options to support family and caring responsibilities, including:
This is in addition to other leave:
Flinders university is committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all. If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic or family abuse, free and confidential support is available, further information can be found here.
Staff are able to access leave for matters arising from or as a result of family or domestic violence.
Information is available in Clause 36 of Flinders 2023 – 2026 Enterprise Agreement. Staff are also encouraged to speak with their supervisor or P&C Business Partner for further information and support.
We understand that cultural connections and traditions are an important in maintaining family and community connections. To support this, special paid leave is available for staff to participate in, fulfill obligations and/or celebrate religious and national days to the culture which staff or their family members identify. Information is available in Clause 36 of Flinders 2023 – 2026 Enterprise Agreement.
Health and Wellbeing
Caring for others can sometimes mean there is less of a focus on caring for yourself. It is important that we all take the time to care for ourselves as well as one another.
At Flinders we are committed to building and maintaining a work environment that supports a holistic approach to health and well-being. An annual calendar of health and wellbeing activities addressing both physical and mental health is offered to help support staff balance their health and well-being. Further information about this and other various health and wellbeing resources, including workshops, online resources, and access to fitness facilities can be found here.
Understanding the types of leave options available is an important part of providing support to our staff as they balance their professional and family responsibilities.
Flinders offers a range of leave options to support family and caring responsibilities, including:
This is in addition to other leave:
Flinders university is committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all. If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic or family abuse, free and confidential support is available, further information can be found here.
Staff are able to access leave for matters arising from or as a result of family or domestic violence.
For information is available in Clause 36 of Flinders 2023 – 2026 Enterprise Agreement. Staff are also encouraged to speak with their supervisor or P&C Business Partner for further information and support.
We understand that cultural connections and traditions are an important in maintaining family and community connections. To support this, special paid leave is available for staff to participate in, fulfill obligations and/or celebrate religious and national days to the culture which staff or their family members identify.
As part of our Employee Assistance Program staff are able to access a strictly confidential and self-referring service though an external service provider. Support can be provided for a variety of personal, emotional or work related problems including:
Further information can be found here
To maintain health and fitness and keep it accessible and interesting wellness programs are offered, at very low cost, including the very popular reformer Pilates, yoga and sporting opportunities. Members can also access a ladies only gym, infrared sauna and state of the art massage chairs. To find our more visit here.
Training and Career Support
We understand that carer responsibilities, whether parental or otherwise, can sometimes reduce capacity to attend conferences and seminars, networking events and after hours activities. It is recognised that sometimes this in turn has the potential to impact on the ability to form collaborations and build networks and that time available to conduct research, write and publish manuscripts may also be reduced.
In recognition of this Flinders offer a range of supports to reduce barriers and achieve equality of opportunity.
Flinders University is committed to ensuring equal opportunity to career growth and promotion is available to all Academics. The ability for applicants to detail special circumstances, i.e. output relative to opportunity is embedded into our promotion process. This allows the Committee an opportunity to consider any impact that parental or caring responsibilities may have had for the applicant over a period of time, and take that into account when considering the applicants achievements/outputs. Further information can be found here.
This unique parental research support scheme has been established to support academic staff maintain or reestablish their research careers during or following a period of parental leave.
Teaching and Research and Research Academic staff who are on parental leave, with a contract of three years or longer and at least 18 months remaining are eligible to apply.
Funding of up to $50,000 is available to successful applicants for the duration of the research program and can be used for research assistance, equipment, professional development, or to engage casual teachers. Further information is available here.
The Flinders University Conference Travel Fellowship provides support for national and international conferences. Academic staff who have significant carer responsibitliies may be eligible to apply. Learn more here.
Flinders University is proud to be the first South Australian university to become a partner organization of Franklin Women (FW), a professional community dedicated to advancing the careers of women in the health and medical research fields. As a partner, Flinders staff can access various initiatives at a discounted rate, including mentorship programs, caregiving support to attend conferences, and more. For further information, visit the Franklin Women website, use the coupon code FWxFLINDERS024 to unlock access to the discounts on offer.
The Performance Review and Development (PRD) process provides the basis for a supervisor/manager and staff member to work together in assessing and developing performance objectives. This is an opportunity to discuss with your supervisor your professional goals and development objectives.
Family Friendly Forum
Family Friendly Forums will be held twice a year. These forums provide an opportunity to learn more about how Flinders supports diverse family structures in a gender-neutral way.
Dates will be published and all staff are encouraged to register to attend sessions.
Upcoming forums
Previous forums
Information for Supervisors
In addition to supporting our staff, Flinders is committed with equipping our supervisors with the relevant information and knowledge.
The Parental and Caring Support Guide has been prepared for Supervisors to assist you with supporting your staff. This includes the Parental Leave Checklist for Supervisors.
The Breastfeeding Checklist for Managers provides useful information for Managers supporting breastfeeding.
The Manager and Supervisor Resource provides a range of useful resources for supervisors.
Learn about the Supervisor Reference Manual.
External Resources
Help and support for carers is also available from the Australian Government and other organisations. The governments website “Carer Gateway” provides emotional and practical services and support for carers and can be accessed here.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has produced a comprehensive toolkit to support caring in the Workplace. This toolkit includes a practical and informative guide to assist both supervisors and staff with conversations regarding requests for caring support and development of individual plans. For further information and access visit the Human Rights commission webpage at the following link.
Learn more about the Australian Breastfeeding Association.
Your supervisor or People and Culture Business Partnering Team can offer information, support and explain various options available to suit your individual circumstance.
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
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