Parental Leave in Australia: Paid and Unpaid Entitlements

Australia offers a combination of government-funded and employer-based parental leave entitlements. Whether you are expecting your first child or adding to your family, understanding what you are entitled to — and when — will help you plan your finances and your career.

Government Paid Parental Leave

The Australian Government provides Paid Parental Leave (PPL) through Services Australia, administered via your employer's payroll. The scheme has expanded significantly in recent years:

From 1 July 2025: up to 22 weeks at the national minimum wage rate (paid before tax)
Rising to 24 weeks from 1 July 2026, then 26 weeks from 1 July 2027

The payments are taxed as ordinary income.

Eligibility requirements:

You or your partner must be the primary carer of a newborn or newly adopted child
You must have worked for at least 10 of the 13 months before the expected date of birth or adoption
You must have worked for at least 330 hours during those 10 months (roughly 1 day per week)
Your adjusted taxable income must be $168,865 or less for the individual income test, or $350,000 or less under the family income test
You must be an Australian resident

From July 2023, the PPL pool can be shared between both parents — the total weeks do not increase, but either parent can use any portion. This replaces the former separate "Dad and Partner Pay" scheme.

Unpaid Parental Leave from Your Employer

Under the NES, eligible employees are entitled to 12 months of unpaid parental leave, with the right to request a further 12 months.

Eligibility requires:

You have been employed by your employer for at least 12 months continuously before the expected date of birth or placement for adoption
You are a permanent employee or a regular casual employee

Both parents are separately entitled to unpaid parental leave. Generally, both parents cannot take leave at the same time — with the exception of up to 3 weeks of concurrent leave immediately after the birth or placement.

You must give your employer at least 10 weeks' written notice of your intention to take parental leave, confirming the start date no later than 4 weeks before leave begins. There is no obligation to notify your employer before 12 weeks prior to the leave start date.

Employer-Funded Parental Leave

Many employers — particularly larger organisations and government employers — provide additional paid parental leave on top of the government scheme. This may include:

Top-up payments to bring the total payment closer to your regular salary
Additional paid weeks over and above the government scheme
Superannuation contributions during parental leave

Check your Enterprise Agreement, Modern Award, or employment contract for details. If your employer offers paid parental leave, the government scheme and the employer scheme are generally coordinated so that you receive both (subject to any overlap rules in your employer's policy).

Notice Requirements

Parental leave is one area where notice requirements are strictly set out:

Give your employer at least 10 weeks' notice in writing, including the expected date of birth and your intended start date for leave
Confirm the leave start and end date no later than 4 weeks before leave begins (or earlier if practicable)
If the birth is earlier or later than expected, you can adjust your leave dates accordingly with as much notice as possible

You are not required to tell your employer you are pregnant before you give the 10-week notice. However, most employees choose to inform their employer earlier, particularly if they need to arrange workload coverage.

Job Protection

Your job is protected while you are on parental leave. Specifically:

Your employer must keep your position open for your return — or an equivalent position on no less favourable terms
If your role is made redundant during parental leave, your employer must offer you a comparable position; if no comparable position exists, you are entitled to redundancy pay
Your employer cannot use parental leave as a reason to dismiss you — doing so is unlawful and exposes the employer to significant penalties
You have the right to return to your pre-leave position (or an equivalent), and your employer cannot demote you or alter your conditions as a result of taking leave

Taking parental leave is a major life event. Know your rights, plan ahead, and do not hesitate to seek advice from the Fair Work Ombudsman (fairwork.gov.au) if you believe your rights are not being respected.