GLOSSARY
Annual / recreation leave
Annual / recreation leave is leave provided to employees to have a reasonable break from work each year.
Away from job / business throughout pregnancy
Women who had a job while pregnant, but who were on leave from their job or business for the full period of the pregnancy.
Balance of state / territory
This area comprises the region outside of the six state capital city Statistical Divisions. The area includes the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory (except those in very remote areas).
Birth mother
The natural mother of a child, i.e. the woman who gave birth to that child. Birth mothers residing with at least one child aged under two years were in scope for this survey.
Capital city
This area comprises the Statistical Divisions of the six state capital cities which are defined in the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no. 1216.0).
Contributing family worker
A person who works without pay in an economic enterprise operated by a relative. (This category was formerly entitled unpaid family helper).
Couple family
For the purpose of this publication, a family consisting of two persons in a registered marriage or de facto relationship and at least one natural child aged under 2 years, who are usually resident in the household. The family may also include any number of other dependants, non-dependants and other related individuals.
Employed
Persons aged 15 years and over who, during the reference week:
- worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind, in a job or business or on a farm (comprising 'Employees', 'Employers' and 'Own Account Workers'); or
- worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm (i.e. contributing family workers); or
- were employees who had a job but were not at work and were:
- away from work for less than four weeks up to the end of the reference week; or
- away from work for more than four weeks up to the end of the reference week and received pay for some or all of the four week period to the end of the reference week; or
- away from work as a standard work or shift arrangement; or
- on strike or locked out; or
- on workers' compensation and expected to return to their job; or
- were employers or own account workers who had a job, business or farm, but were not at work.
Employee
A person who works for a public or private employer and receives remuneration in wages, salary, a retainer fee from their employer while working on a commission basis, tips, piece-rates, or payment in kind; or a person who operates his or her own incorporated enterprise with or without hiring employees.
Employer
An employer is a person who operates his or her own unincorporated economic enterprise or engages independently in a profession or trade, and hires one or more employees.
Equivalised household income
Total household income that has been adjusted using an equivalence scale. Equivalence scales are used to adjust the actual incomes of households in a way that enables the analysis of the relative wellbeing of people living in households of different size and composition. For a household comprising more than one person, it is an indicator of the total household income that would need to be received by a lone person household to enjoy the same level of economic wellbeing as the household in question.
Family
Two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household. The basis of a family is formed by identifying the presence of a couple relationship, lone parent-child relationship or other blood relationship. Some households will, therefore, contain more than one family.
Family / carer's leave
Leave provided to employees to care for their newborn child and during the first year of the child's life. Some workplaces offer such paid leave ranging from 1-14 weeks. This leave doesn't break continuity of service.
Full-time workers
Persons who usually worked 35 hours or more a week. In this publication full-time / part-time status are in respect of the main job only unless otherwise noted.
Gross household income
Aggregated before-tax income of all members of the household aged 15 years and over. It includes regular receipts from employment, own business and from the lending of assets. It also includes transfer income from government, private institutions and other households but excludes intra-household transfers.
Had a job while pregnant
Women who had a job for some or all of the period during which they were pregnant. This includes women who were away from their job or business throughout their pregnancy.
Household
A group of two or more related or unrelated people who usually reside in the same dwelling.
Incorporated business
A business enterprise possessing a separate legal identity from its owners, limiting their liability for any action or inaction of the corporation. Owners of Incorporated business are generally considered to be employees of that business, and as such will generally have access to the conditions and entitlements of other employees.
Job
In this survey a 'job' is defined as a set of tasks designed to be performed by one person either:
- for an employer in return for pay, commission or payment in kind; or
- as an operator of an enterprise (either incorporated or unincorporated); or
- when engaging independently in a profession or trade; or
- as a contributing family worker working without pay in an enterprise operated by a relative.
Job sharing
Job sharing is an arrangement in which two or more people share the one full-time job, each working part time. Job sharing is available in a wide range of industries, and is in place to help employees achieve a balance between work and other aspects of their life.
Leave
Refers to paid or unpaid time away from work taken by employed persons. An individual's specific work arrangements will determine the particular lengths and types of leave to which they have access.
Length of leave
Refers to the total amount of paid or unpaid leave or time away from a job for the child's birth and subsequent care until the mother returns or joins the workforce after the birth of the child or until the date of interview. It refers to the total amount of leave approved by the employer (irrespective of the period of leave actually taken at the date of interview).
Long service leave
A period of paid leave granted to an employee in recognition of a long period of service to an employer.
Main job
The job in which the person usually works the most hours.
Married
Marital status relates to a 'social marital status' where married is classified as a person who is living with another person in a couple relationship. This relationship is either a registered marriage, or a de facto marriage.
Mean
The mean is the arithmetic average of a group of values. It is calculated by adding the observed values and dividing by the number of observations.
One parent family
For the purpose of this publication, a family consisting of a lone female parent with at least one natural child aged under two years of age who is also usually resident in the family. The family may also include any number of other dependants, non-dependants and other related individuals.
Other industries
Includes Agriculture, forestry and fishing; Mining; Electricity, gas and water supply; Construction; Wholesale trade; Accommodation, cafes and restaurants; Transport and storage; Communication services; Cultural and recreational services; and Personal and other services.
Other occupations
Includes Tradespersons and related workers; Intermediate production and transport workers; and Labourers and related workers.
Other paid leave (woman)
For the purpose of this publication, all types of paid leave other than paid maternity leave.
Own account worker
A person who operates his or her or own unincorporated economic enterprise or engages independently in a profession or trade and hires no employees (this category was formerly entitled Self employed).
Paid leave (partner)
Any form of paid leave that the partner has been granted for the birth or care of their newborn baby. This leave doesn't break continuity of service. May include paternity / parenting leave, family / carer's leave, sick / personal leave, annual / recreation leave, or other paid leave.
Paid maternity leave (woman)
Paid leave that a woman receives for the birth of her child. It is generally for a period before the due date and just after the birth of the child. Depending on the woman's workplace, she may be entitled to paid maternity leave for a number of months.
Partner
For the purpose of this publication, a person who was:
- in a couple relationship with the selected respondent (either a registered or de facto marriage; including same-sex couples); and
- a usual resident of the same household as the respondent
Part-time workers
Persons who usually worked less than 35 hours a week. In most ABS surveys this applies to hours worked in all jobs, however, in this publication full-time / part-time status is in respect of the main job only unless otherwise noted.
Paternity / parenting leave
Paternity / parenting leave is leave provided to employees to care for their newborn child and during the first year of the child's life. Some workplaces offer such paid leave anywhere from 1-14 weeks. This leave doesn't break continuity of service.
Permanently left job
Ceasing employment in a particular job with no intention of returning.
Public / private sector
The public / private classification is used to identify whether an enterprise is a public or private unit. The public sector includes all government units, such as government departments, non-market non-profit institutions that are controlled and mainly financed by government, and corporations and quasi-corporations that are controlled by government. The private sector includes all other enterprises.
Quintile
A grouping derived by ranking all units in the population in ascending order according to some continuous variable such as income and dividing the ranked population into five equal groups, each comprising 20% of the population.
Sick leave
Sick leave is leave which is provided for employees who are unable to attend work because they are ill, injured, or have a medical appointment. It includes 'Personal leave'.
Time away (woman)
Leave from work taken by unincorporated business owners. Since unincorporated business owners are not considered to be employees of the business (in contrast to incorporated business owners), such leave will generally be unpaid.
Unincorporated business
A business enterprise that does not possess a separate legal identity from its owners, who bear full liability for any action or inaction of the business. The outright owner(s) of an Unincorporated business (and their household(s)) are seen to receive whatever profit or loss occurs during the reference period as income.
Unpaid leave (partner)
Any form of unpaid leave that the partner has been granted for the birth or care of their newborn baby. This leave may break continuity of service.
Unpaid maternity leave
Unpaid maternity leave is leave without pay specifically designed so that women can take time off work to care for their child in their first year, without having to resign. This period of time away from work does not count as a break in service, as it would for some other types of unpaid leave such as 'leave without pay'.
Usual hours of work
Usual hours of work refers to a typical period rather than to a specified reference period. The concept of usual hours applies both to persons at work and to persons temporarily absent from work, and is defined as the hours worked during a typical week. The time includes all regular paid and unpaid overtime.
With leave entitlements
An employee who is entitled to either paid holiday leave or paid sick leave (or both) in their main job.
Without leave entitlements
An employee who is not entitled to paid holiday leave or paid sick leave in their main job.
Women with children less than two years old
The birth mother of a child living in the same household who was under the age of two years at the date of interview. If the birth mother has more than one child under the age of two years, data relates to the pregnancy and work arrangements for the most recently born.
Worked in a job while pregnant
Women who worked in a job or business for some or all of their pregnancy. This includes women who took leave/time away and women who had no leave/time away for the birth depending on their individual employment status. Women who were away from work throughout their pregnancy were excluded.
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