Diversity Council Australia (DCA) welcomes the government’s renewed commitment to Australia’s three million unpaid carers in a new ten-year National Carer Strategy. We commend the approach taken by this strategy to be guided by the lived experience of a Carer Advisory Committee and its focus on the complex and intersectional experience of many carers.
DCA provided a written submission during the development of this strategy, urging the government to consider:
- the research on exclusion, discrimination and harassment experienced by carers in paid employment
- the short and longer-term economic and social consequences for women carers, potentially linking in with other government policies and strategies aimed at advancing women’s economic equality
- the misconceptions about flexible work and promotes flexible work options for carers who stay in paid employment whilst caring and/or who return to paid employment
- the complexity of experience of First Nations carers including the experience of exclusion, discrimination and/or harassment in the workplace, and
- the complexity of experience of carers from other diverse groups such as people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse and CARM carers, LGBTIQ+ carers, including the experience of exclusion, discrimination and/or harassment in the workplace.
DCA also recommended support for more initiatives such as the Carer-Inclusive Workplace to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces across Australia.
We are pleased to see the Strategy focusing on reaching all carers, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, and recognising the importance of working in partnership with First Nations stakeholders. We are also very supportive of the Strategy’s multifaceted approach to supporting carers to achieve financial security including overcoming barriers to participating in paid employment or education and encouraging more supportive, inclusive and flexible workplace environments.
DCA looks forward to working with businesses and organisations to assist them to become more inclusive and supportive of the many unpaid carers throughout Australia.
What does this mean for workplaces?
Here’s what employers can do to ensure they are supporting carers:
- Support carers with flexibility: Implement carer leave and flexible work options to help carers balance employment and caregiving.
- Eliminate discrimination: Address bias against carers, particularly those from diverse backgrounds who may face compounded bias, to create equitable opportunities.
- Recognise diversity of experience: Develop strategies that support all carers, including First Nations, LGBTIQ+, culturally and racially diverse, and people with disability.
- Enable career growth: Enable carers to access employment and career growth while managing caregiving responsibilities.
- Encourage employees to share the care: Educate employees about the gendered nature of care work and encourage them to ‘share the care’ more equally.