Industry Scan: Supporting Transitions in and out of Parental Leave in the New South Wales Construction Industry

Australia’s construction sector continues to struggle to attract and retain women workers. A key area of strategic importance is how women are supported in the workplace before, during and after parental leave. Research has found that these periods are pivotal in a woman’s decision to remain in or return to work. To date, there has been little research into the experiences of women in construction during these transitions, or how to support employers and workers to navigate this critical time. The Boosting retention of women in construction: Improving transitions in and out of parental leave project sets out to investigate how to assist women to remain in frontline construction roles in NSW during pregnancy and parental leave, and after taking parental leave.

This industry scan, which forms Stage 2 of the project, maps the current construction industry landscape in pregnancy, parental leave and return to work, including leading practice and critical gaps, drawing on the available sector-wide data on this topic.