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Self-employed parents in Wairarapa will soon qualify for paid parental leave.
Under a Budget 2005 extension, self-employed mothers who've worked an average 10 hours a week during the six months before the birth of a child will qualify for 14 weeks paid parental leave from July next year. If the woman wants to keep working, she can transfer the leave to her husband or partner, who then receives the payment of up to $346 a week.
Wairarapa MP Georgina Beyer says the Government expects over 300 self-employed people in the Wellington region to be eligible for the scheme each year, and around 2200 to take it up nationally.
"I'm encouraging Wairarapa parents to make use of the scheme; it's good for families, it supports rural women and small business owners by giving them a financially supported break, and it helps keep our economy growing."
Ms Beyer said extending paid parental leave is in a carrycot of family-friendly policies the Government's put in place to assist parents to care for their children.
"We've just announced the Work-Life Balance Initiative, a three-year, $1.8m project to create a better balance of work, family and social commitments."
This aims to assist employers to deal with skill shortages, reduce staff turnover and increase productivity. Employees are supported to meet their work, home and personal responsibilities through adjusted working hours and conditions, flexible rostering, staff training and out-of-school childcare.
Ms Beyer said the Government wants to give women some genuine choice about whether they stay at home, return to or remain in the workforce following the birth of a baby.
"Women are the major group benefiting from the extension to paid parental leave. The scheme has been an enormous success since being introduced in 2002. About 45,000 new parents have taken up the leave," said Ms Beyer.
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