It's against the law to dock her pay or demote her to a lesser position because of pregnancy. It's also against the law to hold back benefits for pregnancy because a woman is not married. All are forms of pregnancy discrimination, and all are illegal. Women are protected under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.
Rights of a Pregnant Mother
Women have the right to refuse to be examined by anyone and have the choice to be treated by a certain nurse, doctor, or provider. Pregnant women have the right to refuse a medical treatment or drug such as a caesarian section, anesthesia, and so on.
Submit your pre-birth claim for payments
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov you can claim online for: Family Tax Benefit, which includes Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement. Parental Leave Pay.
After 26 weeks: There should be no extended work hours, with a 40-hour week being the maximum for the employee/patient. No travel further than 50 miles is allowed.
According to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, the Fair Work Act 2009 and other state and territory laws, you can't be treated unfairly because you're pregnant. For example, you can't be dismissed ('sacked'), made to work fewer hours, given less important work or overlooked for promotion or training.
refusing to hire, failing to promote, demoting, or firing pregnant workers after learning they are pregnant; discharging workers who take medical leave for pregnancy-related conditions (such as a miscarriage);
Under the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful to treat someone unfavourably because they are pregnant, have a pregnancy-related illness, have recently given birth, are breastfeeding, or are taking or seeking to take maternity leave.
Other Leave
Some employees may need to go on stress leave while pregnant. If you have allowed them to take paid or unpaid leave due to a pregnancy-related illness or injury, you should allow the same level of flexibility when it comes to pregnancy-related stress leave.
Whether or not you're able to continue working while pregnant depends on your specific job. If you're healthy and aren't at a higher risk for pregnancy complications, and your job doesn't involve exposure to harmful chemicals or isn't physically demanding, you can likely work right up until your due date.
Jobs that require heavy lifting, long periods on your feet and physical exertion could increase your risks of certain pregnancy complications. If these tasks are part of your job, talk with your doctor. Then, if necessary, ask for a transfer to a less-taxing job until after your maternity leave.
A payment to help students with the cost of moving from regional or remote areas for tertiary study. The Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) is a one off payment of up to $5,000. It's to help eligible students with the cost of moving to study.
How Much Is The Baby Bonus? If your child was born or adopted before 1 July 2013, the baby bonus is $5,000. If your child was born or adopted on or after 1 July 2013, or you became eligible for the baby bonus during this timeframe, the payment is either $5,000 or $3,000 depending on your situation.
Healthy Start
You can get free milk, infant formula, vitamins, fruit and vegetables if you're receiving certain benefits or if you're under 18.
How much you can get. Parental Leave Pay for a child born or adopted from 1 July 2023 is based on the weekly rate of the national minimum wage. Your family can get up to 20 weeks, which is 100 payable days. The current payment for Parental Leave Pay is $176.55 a day before tax, or $882.75 per 5 day week.
Many medical practitioners refer to the pregnant woman as 'mother', often as a term of endearment although 'mother' is also used by some in discussing pregnant women, including in medical journal articles.
You are entitled to receive the same sick pay as other employees. If your employer normally pays contractual sick pay, you are entitled to receive it during pregnancy in the usual way. You should check your contract to see how much sick pay you are entitled to or ask your employer, union or HR department.
You can certainly overdo any physical activity during pregnancy, whether it's hyper-extending your joints in a prenatal yoga class or pushing yourself too hard in the lap pool. Even walking too much in pregnancy can incur potential risks, such as shortness of breath, strain and pain.
A common recommendation is to not lift objects heavier than 20 pounds during pregnancy.
High levels of stress that continue for a long time may cause health problems, like high blood pressure and heart disease. During pregnancy, stress can increase the chances of having a baby who is preterm (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or a low-birthweight baby (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces).
Definition of pregnancy discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination means treating a woman less favourably because of her pregnancy. The Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) protects a woman from pregnancy discrimination in areas such as employment, and the provision of goods, facilities or services.
Harassment: Inappropriate comments, “jokes” or remarks about your pregnancy may also qualify as pregnancy harassment. Denial Of Pregnancy Leave: Your employer may discriminate against you by denying you protected pregnancy leave. Termination: It is unlawful for your employer to terminate you due to your pregnancy.
Called the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), it requires employers with 15 or more employees to make reasonable accommodations when workers need them because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, such as fertility treatments or postpartum depression.
Ultimately, however, the choice is entirely up to you and you are not legally required to disclose the information until the 30 days needed to take time under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as long as your company is covered by FMLA.