Australia has increased the paid parental leave to 26 weeks by 2026. This will mean $882.75 per week and may apply to both parents depending on income. This may be wonderful for any government employee, but a disaster for small businesses who will have to employ more staff and pay for both employees.
I believe the answer for small business is artificial intelligence (AI). There is a two-year period to change staff numbers and replace many with computers. The work from home employees, during COVID, have shown that many jobs could be done by the internet and will not be burdened by new legislation.
