Assistant Minister for Defence - Australian Government employers show support for Australian Defence Force Reservists - 15 April 2015

More than 40 Australian Government agencies and departments have formally signed up as ‘supportive employers’ to highlight their Australian Defence Force Reservist-friendly leave policies.

Assistant Minister for Defence, Stuart Robert said the number and breadth of departments which had signed up to the Defence Department’s Supportive Employer Program was impressive.

“This recent initiative has been particularly successful in that almost all of the major Australian portfolio departments have committed to the Supportive Employer Program,” Mr Robert said.

“The program complements a companion financial support scheme, the Employer Support Payment Scheme, which assists employers when Reservist employees are absent from the workplace on ADF Reserve service.

“Defence itself employs many civilians and a large number of them are Reservists. It’s important that they know they will be supported in undertaking Reserve training and service to assist in the protection and safety of Australia and its interests.”

To date, more than 1500 supportive employers nation-wide have signed up to the Supportive Employer Program.

Media note:

A full list of supportive employers is available at: http://www.defencereservessupport.gov.au/for-employers/about-supportive-employers/whos-a-supportive-employer/

Media contacts:

Richard Briedis (Minister Robert’s Office) 0477 391 174

Defence Media Operations (02) 6127 1999