More than just super should be portable between jobs

More than just superannuation should be portable between jobs, according to a new report issued by the McKell Institute.

The report, Insecure Work & Portable Entitlements: a solution for Australia, is arguing that alongside superannuation other entitlements such as long service leave and sick leave should follow workers from job to job.

Such a scheme has been canvassed by Federal Opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, and the McKell Institute report argues that there would actually be significant benefits for the Government from the introduction of such a regime.

The report author, Ryan Batchelor, said the case for a more universal portable entitlement scheme was now impossible to responsibly ignore.

"When one in five workers changed jobs in the past year and 3.7 million have no access to paid leave that should tell us we need a portable entitlement scheme urgently," he said. “COVID-19 has shown how vulnerable we all are when people without enough sick leave show up to work sick.

“Fortunately, there are now a range of practical models for implementation, several of which with proven real world track records,” Batchelor said. "The Commonwealth should get on board instead of trashing a good policy idea before they’ve even had a chance to properly consider it.”

"Our report shows there are actually significant benefits for the government, which currently picks up the tab when companies go bankrupt and workers lose their employees through the Fair Entitlements Guarantee. Claims that the sky will fall in are simply not borne out by the facts.”