To create inclusive, supportive workplaces where staff can manage reproductive health without stigma, penalty, or financial loss.
What we can win
Inclusion of and improvements to reproductive health provisions.
Why it is important
Reproductive health leave is a workplace entitlement for all workers that provides paid time off and flexibility for employees to manage a wide range of reproductive health needs. These can include:
Menstruation and menstrual disorders
Menopause and perimenopause
Fertility treatments like IVF
Recovery from procedures such as vasectomies or hysterectomies
Preventative screenings (e.g. breast or prostate checks)
Pregnancy loss or termination
Unlike general sick leave, reproductive health leave acknowledges the recurring, chronic, and sometimes sensitive nature of these health issues. It allows you to manage your health with dignity, without exhausting other leave entitlements or risking your job or income.
Some Australian states, like Queensland and Victoria, have already introduced paid reproductive health leave for public sector workers. The NTEU is campaigning to make it a national standard across our sector.
FAQs
Why is this not covered in sick leave?
Sick leave is generally intended for short-term or unforeseen illness or injury, while reproductive health leave recognises the specific and often recurring nature of reproductive health needs.
Using sick leave for these issues can quickly exhaust entitlements, especially when treatments or symptoms are ongoing. Reproductive health leave ensures you have dedicated time to managing these needs without risking your income, job security, or wellbeing.
Will this give special treatment to one group?
Reproductive health issues affect everyone, not just women, and they can seriously impact your wellbeing, work performance, and ability to stay in the workforce.
For men, this leave can cover vasectomies, fertility treatments, hormone therapy, prostate screenings, and recovery from related surgeries.
You shouldn’t have to use up all your sick leave or go unpaid just to manage your health. Reproductive health leave gives you time to access care, attend appointments, and recover without risking your job or income.
It also helps reduce stigma, encourages early detection of serious conditions like prostate cancer, and supports a more inclusive workplace for all genders.
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