Paid maternity leave at Woolworths
In the 2007 Federal Election campaign, the Labor Party committed to establishing a system of paid maternity leave for all Australian female workers. Prior to this commitment, only some organisations in Australia offered a paid maternity leave scheme, such as Woolworths. Workers and managers of Woolworths both identify the tangible benefits of providing a financial support to female workers during their confinement and post-birth. However, the onset of the global financial crisis has brought into question the affordability of the scheme, with both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister casting doubts on its introduction in the near future.