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Complaints

Methodology

Two separate surveys were conducted. The ‘Mothers Survey’ and the ‘Fathers and Partners Survey’.

Respondents were interviewed by telephone (computer assisted telephone interview, CATI). The samples for each survey were drawn from Department of Social Services databases of recipients of parental payments. As a result of the introduction of the ‘Paid Parental Leave’ and ‘Dad and Partner Pay’ schemes, there is greater access to databases of mothers, fathers and partners in Australia.

2.1 Mothers Survey

The Mothers Survey measured the experience of 2000 birth and adoptive mothers.

The Mothers Survey measured discrimination in the workplace at three points of time:

  • during pregnancy
  • when requesting or during parental leave
  • upon return to work following parental leave (including discrimination related to family responsibilities and breastfeeding or expressing milk).

The survey was developed in collaboration with Roy Morgan Research and academics working in this field in Australia.[1] It also draws from similar surveys conducted in the United Kingdom[2] and Ireland,[3] as well as relevant Australian surveys.[4]

The National Review Reference Group[5] was established by the Commission to provide counsel to the National Review on its methodology, analysis and recommendations. The Reference Group also played an important role in overseeing and contributing to the development of the survey.

Existing qualitative and quantitative data on the nature of discrimination in Australian workplaces related to pregnancy, parental leave and return to work after parental leave, was drawn on to inform question content and questionnaire structure.

Mothers Survey Sample

Respondents to the Mothers Survey were randomly drawn from a Department of Social Services database of women who were recipients of either:

  • Paid Parental Leave (PPL) in the four month period of July/August and October/November 2011, or
  • the Baby Bonus (BB) in seven month period of May, July/August, October/November 2011

These women were aged between 18 and 49 and in the workforce as an employee at some time during their pregnancy (or while adopting a child).[6]

Based on ABS figures demonstrating the proportion of working mothers that take PPL or BB, the total sample of mothers (N=2,000) consisted of 80% PPL recipients (n=1,600) and 20% BB recipients (n=400).[7]

Results from the Mothers survey have been weighted to the estimated Australian population of women, who at the time of the survey, were aged between 18 and 49, had been employed at some time in the previous nine months as an employee and had given birth to a child in the six month period covered by the Department of Social Services sample. This was in order to remove any inherent bias in the sample provided by the Department of Social Services in terms of age, labour force status while pregnant, and geographic distribution.[8]

As such, the results of the Mothers Survey is representative of the experience of working mothers aged 18-49 with a child of approximately two years of age.

2.2 Fathers and Partners Survey

The Fathers and Partners Survey measured the experience of 1000 fathers and partners that had taken the new legislative entitlement of 2 weeks of leave at the minimum wage under the ‘Dad and Partner Pay’ scheme.

The Fathers and Partners Survey measured discrimination in the workplace at two points of time:

  • when requesting or during parental leave, and
  • upon return to work following parental leave (including discrimination related to family responsibilities).

The survey questionnaire was adapted from the survey used for the Mothers survey.

Fathers and Partners Survey Sample

Respondents of the Fathers and Partners Survey were randomly drawn from a database of Dad and Partner Pay recipients provided by the Department of Social Services. As this scheme has only been in place since 1 January 2013, the survey was based on the experiences of fathers and partners who:

  • had a baby/adopted a child in the period February to April 2013
  • were aged between 18 and 49, and
  • were in the workforce as an employee just before the birth/adoption of their child.

This sample is only representative of the experiences of these ‘Dad and Partner Pay’ scheme recipients. As only a small proportion of new fathers and partners access the ‘Dad and Partner Pay’ scheme,[9] it is not representative of all working fathers who have had a child. As such, results cannot be weighted to enable extrapolation of the findings to the general population of fathers and partners. Results also can not be compared with the Mothers Survey.

2.3 Interpreting the prevalence data

The prevalence data arises from respondents’ perceptions of the ways in which they were treated as a result of their pregnancy, parental leave and return to work following parental leave (including based on their family responsibilities and breastfeeding/expressing). While only a court can determine whether there has been a breach of relevant legislation, the results:

  • indicate the prevalence of behaviour and action that could be ‘discrimination’ due to their pregnancy, requests for or taking of parental leave, and return to work following parental leave (including family responsibilities and breastfeeding/expressing), and
  • provide baseline data on the extent and nature of discrimination related to pregnancy, parental leave and return to work in Australia.

[1] The Commission acknowledges the contribution of the following academics in providing expert comment on the survey questionnaire and methodology: Marian Baird, University of Sydney; Sara Charlesworth, University of South Australia; Lyn Craig, University of New South Wales; Belinda Hewitt, University of Queensland, Paula McDonald, Queensland University of Technology; Lyndall Strazdins, Australian National University; and Gillian Whitehouse, University of Queensland.
[2] L Adams, F McAndrew and M Winterbotham, Pregnancy discrimination at work: a survey of women Equal Opportunity Commission (2005). At http://www.maternityaction.org.uk/wp/2013/11/pregnancy-discrimination-at-work-a-survey-of-women/ (viewed 1 April 2014).
[3] H Russell, D Watson and J Banks Pregnancy at Work: A National Survey, HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme and Equality Authority (2011). At http://www.equality.ie/en/Research/Research-Publications/Pregnancy-at-Work-A-National-Survey.html (viewed 1 April 2014).
[4] For example, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 4913.0 - Pregnancy and Employment Transitions, Australia, Nov 2011. At http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4913.0Main%20Features3Nov%202011?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4913.0&issue=Nov%202011&num=&view= (viewed 1 April 2014).
[5] The Reference Group consists of 7 members representing business, community groups, unions and academics. The Reference Group is chaired by Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner. The members include: Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner; Innes Willox, Australian Industry Group; CEO, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Ged Kearney, Australian Council of Trade Unions; Therese Bryant, Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association; Marian Baird, University of Sydney; and Anna Davis, Working Women’s Centre, NT.
[6] In the period in which the sample was drawn (May – November 2011), 98.5 of mothers were paid either the PPL or BB as a proportion of all children born in 2011–12 based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics publication 3222.0 Series B estimates. The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), Annual Report 2011-2012, p 50. At http://www.dss.gov.au/about-fahcsia/publications-articles/corporate-publications/annual-reports/2012 (viewed 3 April 2014).
[7] The sample structure for the PPL and BB survey was calculated using the November 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics’ ‘Pregnancy and Employment Transitions’. Survey Results which estimated that amongst mothers with a child born on or after 1st January 2011, who were in the workforce as an employee, 79% reported claiming PPL and 21% reported claiming BB. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 4913.0 - Pregnancy and Employment Transitions, Australia, Nov 2011. At http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4913.0Main%20Features3Nov%202011?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4913.0&issue=Nov%202011&num=&view= (viewed 1 April 2014).
[8]The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) calculated that at the time of the survey 109,078 Australian women who were aged between 18 and 49, and were employed in the previous nine months as an employee, had given birth to a child in the six months prior to the time of the survey.  This estimate was provided by ABS to the Commission for the purposes of weighting the survey data and was based on a Labour Force Survey estimate that 3.7million women in this age group were employed as employees and that based on national age-specific fertility rates for women of this age, 109,078 of them would have given a birth to a child in a six month period.
[9] In the 6 month period following the introduction of the ‘Dad and Partner Pay’ scheme (January – June 2013), 26,212 fathers and partners accessed the scheme. The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), Annual Report 2012-2013, p 40. At http://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-department/publications-articles/corporate-publications/annual-reports/fahcsia-annual-report-2012-2013 (viewed 1 April 2014).