Levuka resident calls for paternity leave in Employment Relations Bill

A Levuka resident has raised questions over whether the proposed Employment Relations Bill should include leave provisions for men, highlighting the shared responsibilities of fathers in caring for their children.

While speaking during the consultation on the Employment Relations Bill in Levuka, the resident asked if paternity leave could be included alongside provisions for women, who under the Bill are granted miscarriage and post-maternity leave.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Deputy Chair and MP Premila Kumar responded that men are currently covered under Family Care Leave, but the committee has noted repeated public suggestions to formally include paternity leave in future amendments.

Kumar also outlined the proposed provisions for women, explaining that employees who experience a miscarriage within the first three months of pregnancy would be entitled to three working days of leave, while those experiencing miscarriage between three and six months would receive seven working days.

She says the Bill includes post-maternity arrangements, granting women who have resumed work after childbirth a thirty-minute paid daily breastfeeding break, with employers required to provide a safe and private space for mothers.

She also emphasised that while pregnancy and menstruation are not illnesses, the law must recognise that some women experience greater complications or pain, necessitating additional support.