The commission, in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety report, will examine the merits of unpaid leave allocations for all workers who need to care for an older relative or friend and undertake a study of employment models across the aged care sector.
The examination will provide the government with a detailed understanding of the economy‑wide impacts of both matters.
Additionally, the commission will establish a formal inquiry into the potential impact of amending the Fair Work Act 2009 to provide all employees with a minimum entitlement of unpaid carers’ leave, if they are caring for senior Australians living at home.
This investigation is in direct response to recommendation 43 of the royal commission, which urged the government to examine the potential impacts of providing an additional entitlement.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg acknowledged that informal carers are a critical element of the care system for older people and while Carer Payment and Carer Allowance are available to people who spend a considerable amount of time providing informal care, carers may be forced to choose between their caring role and their jobs or careers.
The wider examination of employment models is a response to recommendation 87 of the royal commission’s final report that proposed aged care services have policies and procedures in place to directly employ workers where possible, rather than using contractors.
