- sex, marital status
- pregnancy or potential pregnancy
- family responsibilities
- carer's responsibilities

Primary carers, in most cases women, can be assisted to combine career and family friendly responsibilities by a workplace which adopts a “family-friendly” workplace may be achieved by flexible work practices, good communication and co-operative work arrangements.

"Carer's responsibilities" have been added to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act - Sect 49S and 49T and are incorporated in the University's Enterprise Agreement.

The benefits of a family friendly workplace spread into the wider community as there are advantages not any for the worker, but also for dependent children and other family members who are temporarily or chronically ill.

Why should the University adopt a family friendly workplace?

• In 59% of 2 parent families with dependent children, both parents are in the work force (Australian Institute of Family Studies 1989)
• 43% of women and 41% of men in the labour force have dependent children (ibid)
• 29% of employed parents with children report difficulty in managing work and caring for children (ABS 1993)
• In NSW, 9.2% of families with dependent children are headed by a single parent (Social Policy Directorate NSW & ABS NSW 1992)
• Women undertake 70% of unpaid work in the household (Bittman 1991)
• Women will comprise 60.3% of the workforce by the year 2005 (ABS 1994)

Flexible working arrangements may include the following:

- Flexible working hours
- part-time work
- job sharing and job splitting
- part-time leave without pay
- career break schemes
- part year employment and variable year employment
- working from home
- accessible, affordable work based child care
- flexible leave provisions

- reduced absenteeism
- increased return from maternity leave
- reduced turnover in staff
- improved morale
- improved work performance
- greater willingness to accept organisational change
- public image of the organisation improved

- job performance improved or remained the same
- work related communication either improved or remained in the same
- participants believed their personnel life had improved
- work environment factors, such as interpersonal relationships and job content improved
- was a feasible not expensive option

 Managers may use this option as a way to attract people with scarce skills, to increase the range of skills available and/or to assist an employee on a part-time basis, or may be full-time employees taking part-time leave without pay.

There is potential for the University to benefit from job sharing through increased productivity and lower absenteeism. Through job sharing, and other flexible work arrangements,staff members have an opportunity to integrate work and other responsibilities, eg. child care, or to undertake personal activities, eg. external study.

Child Care
 Three Child care facilities are available on campus.

Banksia Cottage
Banksia Cottage is owned by the University, operated by the Union, and gives priority of enrolment to children of staff members. It caters for 90 children daily aged three months to five years.
Phone: (02) 9850 7781

Gumnut Cottage
Gumnut Cottage is administered by the Union and caters for 90 permanent children aged three months to five years (priority of enrolment is given to children of students).
Phone: (02) 9850 7740

Mia-Mia Child and Family Study Centre
The Mia-Mia Child and Family Study Centre is administered by the Institute of Early Childhood and caters for 50 children daily aged from six weeks to five years. The Centre gives no prioities and is available to community families and families who travel to the North Ryde area for work, as well as for staff and students of the University.
Phone: (02) 9850 9880