Caring

Eldercare and caring for a family member with disability

A significant caring role that is undertaken by many people is caring for elderly and / or a family member with disability. Carers in the paid workforce are under pressure to manage their competing roles and require flexible responses from employers. UNSW recognises the importance of this role and extends a range of flexible work options to support employees to fulfil this role.
Staff with caring responsibilities are entitled to use their sick leave for the purpose of caring for an immediate family member with disability.
 
How to apply for Carers' Leave

Men with caring responsibilities

Many men take an active role in caring for dependent children, elderly parents and family members with a disability. Traditional family structures are changing as more women continue to work after the birth of their children. Men who are embracing this change seek to create a better work-life balance to support their caring responsibilities. Life cycle changes also bring about new caring responsibilities, with some men finding themselves responsible for the care of elderly parents.
 

Equalisation of salary

Equalisation of salary is a flexible payment of salary arrangement, available in particular but not exclusively, to those employees working on a sessional basis, which allows the total annual hours of employment for such employees to be equalised and paid over a calendar year allowing  employees to take additional periods of leave during the year and to have their salary equalised over the entire year. It may assist employees with carers responsibilities who require additional leave to care for elderly or disabled family members.

For more information, see UNSW's Enterprise Agreements:
  

Flexible work options may assist with caring responsibilities

Flexible work practices enable carers to fulfil their caring and work commitments.  Some examples of flexible work practices include negotiating a late start or early finish to pick up / drop off children and equalisation of salary to cover school holidays.