6 February 2008

Grants for mums re-entering the workforce

| Jazz
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ABC Online have this article this morning on a new initiative to help out mums returning to the workforce after caring for children. The scheme launched by minister for women (is there a minister for men?) will give up to $1000 to 200 women per year to help out with the cost associated with returning to work after an absence.

I wonder if the criteria excludes men returning to work after caring for children. Personally i think those out of the workforce are better off looking for part time work or skills development through websites like careermums.com.au rather than relying on government handouts.

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Snahons_scv6_berlina8:49 am 07 Feb 08

GA, too lazy to check, i used to be there…

Mael, point taken, but as someone who has actually been on “stress leave”, after an absolutely appalling situation at work, I’ve found it’s not the lazy buggers who take it. I used to work 6 or 7 days per week, into all hours of the evening to cover the arses of people both above and below who didn’t like to work much themselves… but hey I’ve always been a sucker for punishment. It’s the staff that put in the extra effort that just keep getting the work piled on and on. Learn from it and move on I say, but a lot of the comments on this site regarding lazyness = extra leave are often far from the truth in my experience, mostly it’s the staff who work damn hard, and then just can’t anymore. My two cents anyhow.

el ......VNBerlinaV810:05 pm 06 Feb 08

Wait….you’re female as well?

The Berlina sisters strike again!

el ......VNBerlinaV89:31 pm 06 Feb 08

Tagline.

As a working girl, where do I go to claim my $$?

el ......VNBerlinaV89:15 pm 06 Feb 08

Point proven Jack.

staria – while it is a nice idea to think that the grant will be targeted properly, I am willing to put my money where my mouth is and put $50 on at least 50% of the successful ‘moms’ go to pick up their cheque in their Subaru Forester or equivalent.

I’ll also go as far as supposing that they will bring out their folk festival weekend clothes just to really give out that hard done by, but really quite funky in a Stevie Nicks kind of way, appearance.

To address the lazy mofo issue – yes you are right, it isn’t a localised phenomenon. Bet your bottom dollar though there are some lazy buggers who would get off their asses after a nice stern talking to, and then there are those who would go on ‘stress leave’. I’ll leave it to your imagination which group I think would fall into that category.

In an effort to be anti-pedant – this is not a black and white steriotype, but I’m sure everybody reading this post knows exactly who I am talking about, well apart from a certain weapon who makes SGS look worldly and experienced.

To the petrol guzzler, many people can see he’s a fool, don’t need you to confirm it.

el ......VNBerlinaV86:54 pm 06 Feb 08

Mr Evil: Hook, line and sinker. Again and again and again…

Love yer work 🙂

FFS, where’s my money then? :P~

Mael, I agree with you. I went to Uni when a sole parent (eldest child). I finished the degree a few years later and was married. I have 3 kids and juggle work etc.

It’s not hard if you really want to do it.

My sister is one of those lazy mofo’s. She is 30 this month and has not had a job EVER.

Her son is 10 this year.

Our tax dollars keep her home sitting on her arse.

“And yes, I do think there are a class of women who are lazy mofo’s that need to take a long hard look at themselves, but unfortunately due to the nature of the PC workplace, are quite sheltered little princesses.”

Ok, I’ll bite 😀 I think that there are a class of people who are lazy mofo’s that need to take a long hard look at themselves. It’s not a localised phenomenon: men, women, public service, private enterprise – there are lazy buggers in each group and people who pick up the slack. I always have a good laugh at the “lazy public servants” rants, I wish I could find one of those teams that sit around drinking coffee all day!
Back on topic, I think it’s a good idea (the grant) as long as it’s targeted properly and not just a first in best dressed thing. Personally, I think a look at how to introduce more flexibility into the workplace for both sexes wouldn’t go astray. I reckon if permanent part time positions could be more easily available it would go a huge way towards getting more people into the workforce. Plus, I’d much rather someone working the full 4 or 5 hours a day they’re at work, than someone who has a full time position, but still only works 4 or 5 hours a day.

Poor Mr Evil. You could always do it in normal working hours…instead of, oh..I dunno, posting on an internet forum.

Gungahlin Al3:49 pm 06 Feb 08

Hi Snahons, my ID on RA isn’t exactly a secret…
And you are?

Justbands, I’ll take that on board when I’m sitting at home tonight doing work that my two favourite working mums should have done last week!

I posted something in support of Mr Evil, but my browser crashed and I can’t be assed retyping it.

Short version is I have 2 kids in the last 2 years, and we’ve not asked for a dime off the Government, nor are we going to. Mrs Mælinar will be resuming work soon enough, and yes, daycare will be coming out of our own pocket.

Donations happily accepted though – suckers.

Keep up the good work Evil, I’ll try to keep the computer working enough to post supportive messages.

And yes, I do think there are a class of women who are lazy mofo’s that need to take a long hard look at themselves, but unfortunately due to the nature of the PC workplace, are quite sheltered little princesses.

When I’m busy, there’s no way I’d have time to read/post here (obviously I’m not that busy right at the moment), multi-tasking or not. You’re not that busy buddy, can’t be picking up too much slack from the working Mums.

Yeah, well it takes me at least 30 mins to type and post a comment………

It’s called multi-tasking!

May I point out how much time during your working day you spend posting on RiotACT Mr Evil?

“Mr Evil your attitudes to female workers is exactly why women need assistance to get back into the paid workforce.

Perhaps these women’s husbands should do some of the dropping off and picking up of their children.”

Good on ya, Sepi: keeping up with reality again!

For your information one of my colleague’s husband is a fulltime stay-at-home house dad – so she really has no real reason to be late or skive off whenever she feels the need.

The other has a working partner who does help her with picking up/dropping off the children, but she still doesn’t seem to be able to work a full day either.

Maybe they’ve always been lazy witches, who now just happen to have a legit ‘excuse’ to expect everyone else to carry them?

I’m all for Mum’s returning to the workforce – just so long as they don’t expect their fellow staff to carry them!

Mr Evil, I’m new to these boards, and I must say since reading many of your comments, your name describes you well! It’s sad to see you have such an attitude, BUT, something tells me you only post to get yourself noticed. Were you neglected as a child, teenager, adult and old man? I think so. Can you be nice for just one day? No????? Ok, then I shall ignore your disgusting posts from now on.

Snahons_scv6_berlina2:56 pm 06 Feb 08

Gungahlin, don’t tell me you actually work on level 6 garema pl ?

Mr Evil your attitudes to female workers is exactly why women need assistance to get back into the paid workforce.

Perhaps these women’s husbands should do some of the dropping off and picking up of their children.

neanderthalis… maybe the less efficient housewives need to be offered a voluntary redundancy package as part of these efficiency savings? 🙂

This grant is for a small number of women who have an income that doesn’t have wiggle room to pay for retraining to return to the workforce. After a long break from paid work, they most likely need some study on their CV to convince employers to give them a go, or to update their skills.

I think these women are worth investing in, certainly the small amount that is being offered by the ACT Government. Looking after small children is much harder work than people realise if they haven’t done the job for a while themselves.

neanderthalsis1:58 pm 06 Feb 08

Miz, the unpaid stuff would go away if we could get the housewives to work more efficiently…

Erm, shouldn’t this be called ‘return to PAID work . . .’? The unpaid stuff doesn’t just go away.

Alternatively, a number of economic issues have been raised by an ageing population in the future. So those having & raising children are doing so to some wider public benefit such as broadening the future tax base.

To this end, maybe non-breeders are just kicking in their fair share of the costs borne for this benefit.

Not sure if this is 100% correct.. but a perspective worth considering anyway.

Can I have a grant from the ACT Govt for the extra workload I have had to pickup for a couple of women at work who are full-time employees but are always 15-30 mins late for work (because they have to take their little darlings to kindy/school), take long lunch breaks (to spend quality time with their little darlings) and leave work 15-30 mins early (to run pick their little darlings up from school)?

Such a grant is not relly needed for men as there is only a very dsmall number of men staying at home and caring for children, and thus there is not an assumption on the part of employers that male job applicants will not be suitable as they will have to take lots of time off to care for sick kids.

It could help with the staff shortages that are hitting Canberra now.

It’s not for all women – it’s targeted at low income earners who are looking to return to the workforce after a significant break, with their children starting school. They still have to find a course to develop their skills, but the small handout on offer will help pay the course fees, for example.

NEIS is great for those wanting to start a business, but self-employment also requires a serious time commitment that many women don’t want when they’re returning to work.

I wonder if they’ll expand the program if it works well with these initial small numbers?

neanderthalsis12:01 pm 06 Feb 08

The federal Governments welfare reforms under the previous governemnt included changes to the Parenting Payments (both PP single and PP Partnered) whereby when your youngest kidlet reached shcool age, six, you change payments from PPS or PPP on to newstart and therefore must go and actively seek work or undergo training. As a consequence we started to see all the yummy mummies (and the not so yummy ones) appearing behind checkouts at the local woolies instead of them luxuriating at home watching Dr Phil on the Plasma TV they bought with the baby bonus.

The ACT is now playing catchup after most of the other states have introduced programs to assist women in making the transition.

These women should all stay at home, so their husbands can have a hot dinner waiting for them when they get home from the Pub at 10pm!

Selfish bloody cows! 🙂

Gungahlin Al9:58 am 06 Feb 08

Parents (either sex) and job seekers in general can get help to re-enter work as self-employed via the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme. Surprised the abovementioned website doesn’t mention it.

[shameless program promotion /off]

I would like to see this pilot program expanded from the outset. targetting 200, presumably single mums (area of need – correct me if i am wrong) isnt really going to change that much. Add a zero to the grant allocation and i think that this program ought reap enough benefits for it to be sustainable well into the future.

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