Ms ?ine Maher:

I thank the Senator for her questions. On head 6 and her comments around unlocking the potential for locationless work, I want to emphasise that this is about a right to request remote work in jobs where such a facility is not specified or where the employer is not already engaging in such accommodation. It is in no way the intention of this legislation to undercut the many companies that are already offering hybrid or remote-only options and are recruiting on that basis, as specified from day one in the job description. As we heard from the representatives of Grow Remote when they contributed to the committee's discussion on this issue, a lot of employers in the current jobs market are already offering those opportunities from day one.

I referred to parental and carer's leave. A minimum term of employment, as I said, is a relatively common provision in a lot of different legislation, not just on parental and carer's leave. The new Sick Leave Bill, as drafted, also requires a minimum term of employment. This is intended as a floor, not a ceiling.