No good support for working parents: Report

COMPANIES in Papua New Guinea are losing up to K1.3 million per year due to the absence of support towards working parents, a report reveals.
This is according to International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) report titled: Tackling Childcare: The Business Case for Employer-Supported Childcare in Papua New Guinea.
The IFC engaged with 29 PNG businesses collectively employing more than 13,000 people to assess the experience of working parents in the private sector.
The report stated that businesses in PNG were losing the equivalent of 13.7 working days per employee per year, or an average annual cost of K1.3 million (US$300,000) per company, due to the absence of support for working parents
highlighting a significant opportunity for businesses to boost their family friendly workplace policies.
The study recommends interventions in the workplace alongside government policy updates that would reduce lost workdays and drive broader economic gains including flexible work options and making workplace adjustments such as supporting breastfeeding solutions.
The study predicts that these and other measures may boost female employment, enhance family earnings and lower child malnutrition risk.
Judith Green, IFC country manager for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands said:
“We have found that working parents in PNG face significant challenges, which in most cases inevitably impacts business productivity.
“This groundbreaking study shows PNG’s private sector can create positive changes that support both working parents and businesses, which ultimately helps drive sustainable economic growth.”
The study also found that 75 per cent of working parents acknowledge that their childcare responsibilities impact their work, with 43 per cent noting it has led to career-impacting decisions for them or their partner.
Women were found to be more likely than men to quit jobs, turn down promotions, or reject job offers because of the difficulty in balancing work and childcare.
Diane Barclay, Minister-Counsellor at the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby said:
“Access to childcare can have a profound impact on the lives of working parents and their children in Papua New Guinea, particularly for working mothers, who often contend with additional social and geographic challenges.
“Supporting women’s ability to enter and remain in the workforce will boost productivity and female participation, which in turn will drive economic growth, increase family earnings, and improve childhood outcomes.”
Evonne Kennedy, executive director of the PNG Business
Coalition for Women, said: “Better support for working parents in PNG is a win-win for businesses, families and the economy.
“When the private sector provides innovative opportunities, backed by policy and regulation, parents can better flourish in their careers while also caring for children, promising stronger families, communities and economy.”
World Bank PNG country manager, Khwima Nthara said:
“Under the 1978 Employment Act, parents working in the private sector have no entitlement to paid parental leave.
“The report calls for updated legislation to match the changing needs of families and businesses in PNG.”