Unions are urging the Albanese government to enshrine up to 12 days of paid reproductive health leave in national workplace laws, warning that millions of workers are currently forced to choose between their health and their pay
Australian unions are urging the Albanese government to create a new universal right to paid reproductive health leave, warning that millions of workers are being forced to burn through sick leave or go without pay to manage routine and serious health conditions linked to reproduction.
In submissions to the federal parliamentary inquiry into the National Employment Standards (NES), union bodies including the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Health Services Union (HSU) have called for a dedicated entitlement to reproductive health leave to be written into the national safety net.
The NES currently guarantees personal and carer’s leave but does not specifically recognise reproductive health, despite unions arguing it is a major driver of absenteeism, lost productivity and early exit from the workforce.
Under a proposal lodged by Australian Unions, all workers – regardless of gender – would gain access to 10 days of paid reproductive health leave each year to manage any health issue linked to reproduction. That could include prostate cancer screening, vasectomy recovery, IVF and fertility treatment, miscarriage, menstrual pain, menopause and conditions such as endometriosis.
Some workers have already secured reproductive health leave through union‑negotiated enterprise agreements, but the majority of Australians have no dedicated entitlement. As a result, many are drawing down their personal leave or taking unpaid time off to attend medical appointments, undergo treatment or simply cope with severe pain.
ACTU assistant secretary Liam O’Brien said no worker should be forced to choose between their income and their health.
“Reproductive health affects all workers, regardless of their gender. Whether you’re going through IVF, attending a prostate cancer screening, or managing endometriosis, these are important health issues that should never cause financial stress.”
O’Brien argued that failing to provide specific leave was discouraging early intervention and leading to worse long‑term outcomes for workers and employers alike.
“Early intervention saves lives. Right now, Australians are delaying screenings, pushing through pain, and working while unwell because they can’t afford to run down their leave balance,” he said.
“This only creates more serious health problems down the track and keeps people away from work for longer. The evidence is clear: giving people paid time off to manage their health improves long-term well-being and lifts productivity.”
The HSU, which represents tens of thousands of health workers, has also urged the inquiry to back a universal entitlement, arguing reproductive health is “clearly a workplace issue”. Along with other unions, it has been campaigning for 12 days of paid reproductive health leave, slightly higher than the 10‑day standard proposed in the broader ACTU push.
The HSU’s proposal would cover specialist appointments and treatments relating to reproductive organs – including screenings for breast and prostate cancer – as well as managing symptoms of conditions such as periods, perimenopause, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and recovery from procedures such as vasectomies and hysterectomies. Miscarriage, medical terminations of pregnancy and IVF would also be covered.
HSU national senior assistant secretary Kate Marshall said the scale of reproductive health issues made it impossible for employers and policymakers to ignore.
“Reproductive health is clearly a workplace issue. We know one in 10 women live with endometriosis in Australia, one in six couples will experience fertility issues and one in seven men will also have a prostate issue. We need a leave policy to reflect this burden,” she said.
Marshall said women were bearing the brunt of the absence of a dedicated entitlement.
“We know women are disproportionately affected by a lack of reproductive health leave. A study of 20,000 workers found 90% of working women experience debilitating period pain and 40% were forced to take days off to cope with that,” she said.
“Those women are eating into their annual or sick leave, or taking leave without pay or they are going to work and gritting and bearing it because they have no other choice. This has a massive impact on the economy and the mental wellbeing of employees.”
Unions are backing their call with economic modelling that suggests a national scheme would deliver net benefits for the economy and for businesses.
Research by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), based on a 12‑day reproductive health leave entitlement, estimates employers would absorb about $1.7 billion a year in costs once productivity gains, higher employee retention and reduced early retirement are taken into account. By contrast, the absence of such leave is estimated to cost the Australian economy more than $21.3 billion annually due to absenteeism and workers “pushing through” pain with reduced capacity.
Separate analysis by the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees has estimated that menopause alone costs women aged 50 to 54 more than $15 billion a year in lost earnings and superannuation.
The HSU submission highlights BCEC research showing that implementing a 12‑day reproductive leave policy would cost an average of $3.6 billion but deliver $1.88 billion in direct savings to businesses, alongside improved mental health and higher employee loyalty.
“This research proves it makes economic sense to give workers, especially women who represent half the population, some dignity and agency through a reproductive health leave policy,” Marshall said.
The union’s submission also details case studies from workers who have struggled to navigate reproductive health challenges at work, particularly frontline health staff who are predominantly women.
“Workers, especially frontline health workers who are predominantly women, shouldn’t be forced to take sick or annual leave, or come to work in pain, because they are managing period pain, which is extremely common for women,” HSU senior national industrial officer Louise de Plater said.
“Hearing the experiences of our members and workers, it’s clear we need a leave policy which acknowledges reproductive health challenges, and doesn’t stigmatise them.”
At present, the Queensland government is one of the few large employers to offer a specific reproductive health leave entitlement, providing 10 days of paid leave to its public sector workforce. Unions say this shows a national standard is both viable and overdue, and are pressing the federal government to use the review of the National Employment Standards to enshrine reproductive health leave as a basic right for all Australian workers.
