Staying in Touch
The monthly e-newsletter for members on parental leave
Vol. 1 No. 2 | July 2010
Page 1 of 4
Welcome Welcome to Staying in Touch, the e-newsletter for members on maternity, adoption or parental leave. If you have a question or an information suggestion that you would like published in the next Staying in Touch, please contact IEUA-QNT Organiser Gaye Vale on gvale@qieu.asn.au
Importance of IEUA-QNT Membership
Baby Bonus On Board! What is the Baby Bonus? Baby Bonus is paid to families following the birth or adoption of a child. It recognises the extra costs incurred at the time of a new birth or adoption. Please Note: This payment replaced the Maternity Allowance and Baby Bonus (administered by the Australian Taxation Office) from 1 July 2004. How much is the Baby Bonus? Baby Bonus is paid in 13 equal fortnightly instalments. Baby Bonus is payable for each child in a multiple birth. For current rates of payment for the Baby Bonus, go to Family Assistance Payment Rates at www.familyassist.gov.au/payments/payment-rates.html
Members on parental leave are eligible to receive a range of IEUA-QNT membership benefits that can help parents keep in touch with workplace issues and save on baby items when shopping.
If there is a change in care during the 26 week eligibility period following the birth, the payment may be apportioned between two carers.
It is important to keep your IEUA-QNT membership current while on maternity leave to ensure:
Can I get the Baby Bonus?
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be the parent of a dependent child; or
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be a carer other than the parent of a newborn child within 26 weeks of the child’s birth and be likely to continue to have the care of the child for no less than 26 weeks; or
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in the case of adoption the child must have come into your care before the child is sixteen years of age; and
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have adjusted taxable income of less than or equal to $75,000 for the period of 6 months from the date of birth of the child or six months from the date that the child entered into your care; and
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meet Australian residency requirements for family assistance purposes.
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proportion of salary entitlements are correct upon proceeding on maternity leave; full representation to assist you on your rights when returning to work after maternity leave;
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your rights if you need to access subsequent maternity leave;
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you are kept up to date with industrial issues and what is happening in your workplace through Union publications eg. The Independent Voice, Newsletters and Briefings;
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assistance when negotiating parttime employment or job share arrangements on your return; and
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you are able to access the membership benefits as listed below.
Membership fees are based on your earnings for the school year. However, a special membership fee of $65 applies for members on maternity leave. Remember, as an IEUA-QNT member you gain special benefits from Union Shopper; ME Bank; and the Health e-Start service from Teachers’ Union Health (TUH). The Health-e-Start service is one of TUH’s value added services provided at no extra cost to TUH members.
Please Note: Baby Bonus is indexed in July of each year. Baby Bonus is not taxable income and it is not considered income for Family Assistance or Social Security purposes. To be eligible for Baby Bonus you must:
How do I get the Baby Bonus? Your claim must be lodged within 52 weeks of the child’s birth or, in the case of adoption, within 52 weeks of the adopted child coming into the adopting parent’s care. Claims for new babies can be lodged online or go to www.familyassist.gov.au to request a claim form if you were not issued with a form at the time of birth.
Are you eligible to apply Are you a PAR working for Experienced Teacher 6 in a Queensland Catholic school? Classification (ET6)? Go to our website www.qieu.asn.au/et6 for the current Catholic ET6 workshops in your area!
Go to our website www.qieu.asn.au or click here to complete our online PAR Survey!
The Independent Education Union of Australia - Queensland and Northern Territory Branch www.qieu.asn.au
Staying in Touch
The monthly e-newsletter for members on parental leave Page 2 of 4
Signed, sealed, delivered: Paid Parental Leave For the first time, the federal government will fund a Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme for all eligible working parents after a hard fought campaign undertaken by Australian unions. From 1 January 2011, the paid parental leave scheme will provide all eligible working parents with 18 weeks payment at the federal minimum wage of $569.90 per week. This government payment is in addition to any payments your employer currently provides in a collective agreement and does not replace the employer-paid leave entitlements which exist in your collective agreement. The details are as follows: •
all eligible employees including part-time or casual workers earning less than $150,000 pa;
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must have completed at least 330 hours (I day per week) for 10 months out of 13 months previous to the birth or adoption;
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primary care givers who do not meet the criteria may be eligible for the Baby Bonus;
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parents may interchange the primary carer status and share the PPL entitlement;
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the Government provides the payment to the employer to pass on to employees ;
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Parents eligible for PPL are able to choose either PPL or the Baby Bonus (which unlike PPL is not taxed, and does not preclude eligibility for family tax benefits);
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PPL can be taken at any time in the first year after birth; and
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the ‘Keeping in Touch’ provision will allow, upon mutual agreement, employees to attend the workplace for the purposes of professional development for a maximum of 10 days per period of leave, and this attendance will be paid on top of the PPL payment.
While the PPL scheme is a great for and improve the entitlements for Areas of focus for the future include:
achievement for working parents
working remains
parents, continuing to advocate a focus for Australian unions.
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full wage replacement;
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superannuation contribution on the parental leave payment;
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paid secondary carers leave (paternity); and
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capacity to leave work prior to six weeks before the expected fate of birth if they wish. See the table (left) for some options for how you can take your parental leave. For more information, contact the IEUA-QNT office on FREECALL 1800 177 937 or visit http://www.familyassist.gov.au/
The Independent Education Union of Australia - Queensland and Northern Territory Branch www.qieu.asn.au
Staying in Touch
The monthly e-newsletter for members on parental leave Page 3 of 4
Thinking about your Child Care options?
FAQs
Positive experiences in a child’s early years can have a strong influence on their personal development. As recognition of the importance of the early phase of education, all Australian governments are working to introduce a National Quality Framework in January 2012.
Do you have a question that you would like IEUA-QNT to answer?
The aim is to ensure high quality and consistent early childhood education and care across Australia. Child care options: making sense of what is out there for you Family day care Small group care for children from birth to 12 years of age in the home environment of registered carers. Ask to see the Certificate of Accreditation and Quality Profile Long day care Centre based child care from birth to 5 years – provides extended hours to support families who work or study Outside school hours Care for school aged children before or after school, on pupil free days and/or during school holidays. Occasional care Care for children on a casual basis. This service is suitable for families who do not need child care on a regular basis but would like someone to look after their children occasionally.
For more information, please go to http://mychild.gov.au/NationalQualityFramework.htm
Boost your Superannuation while on Maternity Leave The super co-contribution is a government • measure to boost super savings.
permanently retain the co-contribution matching rate at 100 per cent;
If you are a low or middle income earner (or • your income is reduced whilst on maternity leave), you may be able to receive the super co-contribution from the government by making eligible personal superannuation • contributions to your fund. You do not have to contribute the full $1,000 to be eligible – any amount up to $1,000 will attract the super co-contribution.
cap the maximum co-contribution that is payable on an individual's eligible personal non-concessional super contributions at $1,000; and
Your super co-contribution must be preserved in a super fund or retirement savings account (RSA) and can only be accessed alongside other preserved super amounts. Moreover, your super cocontribution is not included as an income in your tax return and wil not be taxed when received as a benefit.
freeze the super co-contributions indexation rate applied annually to income thresholds for 2010–11 and 2011–12 at $31,920 (the lower income threshold) and $61,920 (the higher income threshold)
Always contact your superannuation fund, or financial adviser for specific advice about your personal circumstances.
For more information go In the 2010–11 Federal Budget, the to www.familyassist. Australia government announced that gov.au from 1 July 2010, it would:
Send any questions you have through to IEUA-QNT Organiser Gaye Vale and we will publish a response in the next edition of “Staying in Touch”.
Do I have to return to work before I take another period of maternity leave? This depends on provisions applying to your workplace. Contact an IEUA-QNT Member Services Officers on FREECALL 1800 177 937 for more information. How does maternity leave impact on my ‘length of service’? Maternity leave does not break your continuity of service. In the majority of schools entitlements accrue whilst on paid maternity leave. Unpaid maternity leave does not accrue entitlements such as sick leave, annual leave or incremental progression for classification purposes. It is best to contact an IEUA-QNT Member Services Officer to check the provisions for your school. I want to return to work part-time rather than full-time. What are my rights? You have the right to return to the position that you held before you went on leave. If you wish to return in a part time capacity, then you have the right to request this until your child reaches school age. Your employer cannot ‘unreasonably refuse’ the request. Please contact an IEUAQNT Member Services Officer prior to raising this matter with your employer, as entitlements vary from sector to sector. * Always check your workplace Agreement or contact IEUA-QNT on FREECALL 1800 177 937 or email enquiries@qieu.asn.au
The Independent Education Union of Australia - Queensland and Northern Territory Branch www.qieu.asn.au
Staying in Touch
The monthly e-newsletter for members on parental leave Page 4 of 4
Welcome to your one-stop baby shop Take advantage of your IEUA-QNT membership while on parental leave to grab some great bargains using your Union Shopper guide! On average, members who shop using Union Shopper can receive a nine to 13 per cent discount off your already haggled in-store price. Alternatively, if you wish Union Shopper to do the shopping for you, visit the Union Shopper website at www.unionshopper.com.au or phone 1300 368 117 for your next baby saving. Baby’n Things Union Shopper members receive 12.5% discount on all products excluding already discounted items. Members can purchase in-store at Mt Gravatt or over the phone with delivery Queensland-wide. Phone: 07 3420 0075 Website: www.babynthings.com.au Note: Members are currently unable to obtain a discount via the online ordering process. Pram Warehouse Members receive a 10% Union Shopper discount off RRP and 12.5% discount for cash sales. Union Shopper members also receive free delivery on orders over $500. To access this offer members must show US or Union ID in-store or mention their membership if ordering over the phone. Pram Warehouse can deliver Australia-wide. Phone: 1300 477 267 Website: www.pramwarehouse.com.au
The Independent Education Union of Australia - Queensland and Northern Territory Branch www.qieu.asn.au