Parental leave Australia: The must-know info before baby arrives

There are lots of mysteries to parenthood. Like the disappearance of your bladder, maternity bras that defy physics, and wondering how on earth you’re meant to navigate maternity leave.  

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There’s the unpaid part, the paid part, government schemes, employer benefits, rules about notice and eligibility… and none of it comes with a cute illustrated guide. (What’s up with that?)

So here’s your complete rundown to maternity leave and parental leave pay in Australia: how it works, how to plan it, and what your rights really are.

Unpaid parental leave

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In Australia, the foundation of maternity and parental leave is the unpaid parental leave entitlement under the National Employment Standards (NES).

This is the main provision that ensures you have job-protected time off after welcoming a child by birth, adoption or long-term foster care.

What is unpaid parental leave?

Unpaid parental leave gives eligible parents up to 12 months off work (job-protected) after welcoming a child into their family. You can also request an extra 12 months, taking your total to 24 months — though your employer doesn’t have to approve the extension.

This leave is available to both parents, and you can take it together or separately.

You can start your leave:

• On the day of birth or adoption, or
• Up to six weeks before the expected birth (if you’re the birthing parent)

Eligibility for unpaid parental leave

To access unpaid parental leave, you must:

• Have worked for your employer for at least 12 months before your due date or adoption
• Be a full-time, part-time or regular casual employee
• Be responsible for caring for the child

Regular casuals may still qualify if you’ve had a consistent work pattern over the past year and a reasonable expectation of ongoing work.

Is this available to all kinds of families?

Yes — it’s not just for biological parents. You can access unpaid parental leave if you’re:

• Adopting a child
• Taking on long-term foster care
• Experiencing a stillbirth or the loss of a child under 24 months

For adoptive or foster parents, the 12-month employment rule still applies. Both primary and secondary carers can take leave from the day the child is placed in their care.

The duration of unpaid parental leaave

You’re entitled to:

• Up to 12 months unpaid parental leave
• An additional 12 months, if requested (your employer must consider but doesn’t have to agree)

Leave is usually taken as one continuous block, but some workplaces may allow you to split it into parts, like easing back into work or taking some time later.

Giving notice: The 10/4 rule

You’ll need to give your employer:

• At least 10 weeks’ notice before you start your leave
• Written confirmation at least 4 weeks out, with your start and end dates

You can also flag if you might want to extend your leave later — even if you’re unsure.

What paperwork is involved?

To confirm your leave, you’ll need to provide:

• A medical certificate or hospital letter showing the expected due date
• Or, if adopting or fostering, a letter from the relevant agency

If you’re unsure what they need, check in early — your HR team can guide you.

Can I change my plans?

Life happens. Babies come early, plans evolve, and that’s okay. You can:

• Shift your start date (just give 4 weeks’ notice)
• End your leave earlier (with agreement from your employer)
• Request more time off after your initial 12 months

If your baby arrives earlier than expected and you haven’t confirmed everything in writing, just let your employer know as soon as possible. They’re required to be flexible when genuine changes come up.

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The Parental Leave Pay scheme

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While unpaid leave gives you the time, the Parental Leave Pay scheme helps ease the financial pressure of stepping away from work to care for your baby.

What is paid parental leave?

The Australian Government’s Parental Leave Pay is a financial support payment for eligible working parents of newborn or newly adopted children. It’s designed to give primary carers the financial breathing room to take time off from work and care for their little one in those precious early months.

What you’re entitled to:

• Up to 100 days (20 weeks) of paid parental leave at the national minimum wage (currently $915.80 per week before tax). Note that the length increases from July 1st 2025, to 120 days (24 weeks).
• Payments can be taken as a continuous block or split into flexible blocks if arranged with your employer.
• Leave must be taken within 2 years of the child’s birth or adoption.

As of July 2023, the scheme has been updated to allow more flexibility and sharing between parents. Previously, there was a separate “Dad and Partner Pay,” but now it’s all rolled into one shared entitlement that either parent can use, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.

Eligibility requirements:

To qualify, you must:

• Be the primary carer of a newborn or newly adopted child.
• Meet an income test, work test, and residence rules. These change often, so check Government sites for up-to-date information.

Even casual workers can qualify, provided they meet the work test.

How do you apply?

You can lodge your claim through Services Australia (Centrelink). It’s best to apply up to 3 months before your due date, so everything is lined up well in advance.

Once your baby arrives, you’ll need to submit proof of birth (usually done digitally from the hospital) before payments begin.

Who pays you?

In most cases, the government pays your employer, who then pays you as part of their regular payroll cycle. This helps maintain things like tax, super, and leave accruals. If your employer doesn’t opt in, the payments can be made directly to you by Centrelink.

Keeping in touch with work

You’re allowed to take up to 10 “keeping in touch” days while receiving Parental Leave Pay. These are optional workdays that let you:

• Attend training
• Catch up on key meetings
• Ease back into the workplace

These days don’t cancel your leave or affect your payments. They’re just a way to stay connected without fully returning to work.

What about the Flexible Paid Parental Leave option?

Under the updated rules, you don’t have to take all 20 weeks in one go. You can now break it up into:

• A “block period” of at least 12 weeks (must be used first)
• 30 Flexible Paid Parental Leave days, used at your discretion within the next 2 years

Can both parents take Paid Parental Leave?

Under the updated rules, Paid Parental Leave is now a shared pool of days (up to 100 days, or 20 weeks — increasing to 120 days/24 weeks from 1 July 2025). Either parent can access it as long as they meet the individual eligibility criteria.

This means both parents can:

• Split the leave (e.g. 12 weeks for one parent, 8 weeks for the other)
• Take some time off together in the early weeks (if your employer agrees to concurrent leave)
• Alternate blocks based on work or life needs
• Use flexible days (up to 30) around part-time work or shared care

Just note: each parent needs to apply separately through Centrelink, and must meet the work test, income test, and residency requirements individually.

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Employer-funded paid parental leave

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Many Australian workplaces now provide their own employer-funded paid parental leave schemes on top of Government support.

What does employer-funded parental leave look like?

There’s no national requirement for employers to offer additional paid leave, but increasingly, companies are stepping up to support parents both as a values-driven initiative and to retain talented staff.

Some of the benefits employers may offer include:

• Paid parental leave at your full salary for a set period – commonly 6, 12, or 16 weeks, sometimes more
• Superannuation contributions during unpaid leave (not currently required under law)
• Partner/secondary carer leave, often 2–4 weeks paid
• Return-to-work bonuses or incentives, sometimes tied to staying with the company for a set period after your leave ends
• Flexibility guarantees, phased return options, or remote work pathways to ease the transition back

How it interacts with the government’s Parental Leave Pay

One of the most common questions is whether employer-funded leave reduces your access to government PPL. The good news? In most cases, you can access both.

Here’s how it typically works:

• You use your employer-funded leave first (e.g. 12 weeks at full pay)
• Then, you start your 20 weeks of government PPL, either immediately after or spaced out using the flexible arrangement
• Or, some employers allow you to take both payments concurrently, with their leave acting as a top-up to bring the PPL payment up to your usual salary

That last option (top-up) is especially helpful if you’d prefer not to lose income while on leave.

Every workplace will have its own policy, so it’s essential to check:

• Your employment contract
• Any enterprise agreement or union-negotiated conditions
• Internal policies or the staff intranet
• Or just have a chat with HR or payroll

Returning to work after parental leave

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You’ve survived the newborn haze, adjusted to life with your little one, and now the time has come to think about returning to work after baby.

For some, this might feel like a welcome return to adult conversation and hot coffee. For others, it can stir up a whole mix of feelings – excitement, guilt, anxiety, even grief.

Whatever you’re feeling, it’s helpful to know your rights, your options, and the support available to make your return as smooth (and kind) as possible.

Your right to return to work

Under the Fair Work Act, employees who take unpaid parental leave are entitled to return to the same job they had before taking leave.

If that job no longer exists due to a restructure, redundancy, or role change, your employer must offer you a role that is:

• Equivalent in pay, status, and conditions
• Similar in duties and responsibilities to your pre-leave position

This protects your career trajectory and ensures you’re not penalised for taking time away to care for your child.

If you took paid parental leave from your employer but did not access unpaid leave under the NES (for example, if you didn’t meet the 12-month eligibility), your return rights may still be protected under your workplace policy; check the wording carefully.

Requesting flexible work

You have the legal right to request flexible working arrangements if you’re finding it hard to go back to work after having a baby. This might include:

• Part-time work
• Altered start or finish times
• Remote or hybrid work arrangements
• Job sharing

To make a request:

• Submit it in writing
• Include the details of the change you’re seeking and why
• Your employer must respond within 21 days and can only refuse on reasonable business grounds

In practice, many workplaces are becoming more accommodating, especially post-COVID, so if flexibility will help you balance work and family life, it’s absolutely worth asking for.

Even if your request isn’t fully granted, employers may suggest compromises or phased return plans, such as starting with 2–3 days per week, or adjusting responsibilities for a period.

Navigating childcare, pumping, and emotional shifts

Let’s not gloss over the very real challenges of the return-to-work transition.

• Childcare logistics can be stressful. Waitlists are often long, and availability may not match your workdays. Starting the search early (even during pregnancy) is wise.
• If you’re breastfeeding, your employer is required to provide reasonable break times and private facilities for expressing milk.
• Emotionally, the adjustment can take time. You might miss your child. You might not. You might feel torn between two worlds. All of this is completely normal.

It can help to build a support system, whether that’s a friendly colleague, a parent group, or simply scheduling time to debrief with your partner or a friend. This is a major transition, and you deserve support through it.

A few soft-landing tips

• Ask about a phased return – e.g. part-time for the first few weeks
• Book some practice days for your child at childcare before you return to work
• Give yourself grace – you’re adjusting to a new version of yourself

And if something doesn’t feel right, speak up.

Planning and budgeting for parental leave

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It’s important to consider how parental leave will work for your family practically, emotionally, and financially. For many new parents, this is where the real planning kicks in.

Start with your budget

Going from a regular income to government PPL or no income at all can be a big shift.

Here are a few things to factor in:

• How long do you want to take off?
• How much of that time will be paid (via government or employer-funded schemes)?
• Can you use annual leave or long service leave to supplement?
• Do you have savings you can dip into for essentials or emergencies?
• Are there recurring costs (like mortgage repayments or childcare for older kids) you’ll need to account for?

Also consider the new expenses that come with a baby – nappies, clothes, car seats, feeding supplies, and eventual childcare fees. They add up quickly, so building in a buffer where possible helps.

A good tip is to live off your projected parental leave income (or Centrelink pay rate) for a month or two before the baby arrives. It gives you a trial run and helps you adjust before the pressure is on.

Apply early for Centrelink

The Services Australia (Centrelink) application process can be… thorough. It’s recommended that you:

• Set up your MyGov account early
• Link it to Centrelink
• Begin your Paid Parental Leave claim up to 3 months before your due date

Once the baby arrives, you’ll need to provide proof of birth (often sent digitally from your hospital or birth centre), after which payments will begin.

Sync up with your partner

If you’re parenting with a partner, now’s the time to look at how you’ll share leave and caregiving.

Some things to consider:

• Will one of you take most of the time off, or will you stagger your leave?
• Will you take some time off together in the early days, using concurrent unpaid leave or flexible PPL days?
• Are both of your workplaces supportive of secondary carer leave or flexibility?

Prepare at work

As your leave approaches, work with your manager to:

• Plan a handover – include key responsibilities, projects, and contacts
• Set your out-of-office plan (how much, if any, contact you’d like while away)
• Discuss your return-to-work preferences, even if they’re tentative

Some people like to stay in touch with occasional updates, while others prefer to unplug entirely. There’s no right or wrong here – just what works best for you.

Wrapping it up

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Of all the preparations that happen before a child is born, your leave entitlements probably aren’t the most exciting.

At least now, you know you’re way around them. All that’s left is submitting your application and growing excited to spend quality time with your little one.

Frequently asked questions

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Is there a difference between maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave?

Not anymore. In Australia, the system is now simply called parental leave, because it’s designed to support all primary carers, whether you’re the birth mother, a non-birthing parent, or an adoptive parent. Terms like ‘paid maternity leave’ and ‘paternity leave’ are no longer used.

Both parents may be eligible for a mix of unpaid leave, government Paid Parental Leave, and employer-funded leave.

How long is paid parental leave in Australia?

Under the Paid Parental Leave Act, the government provides up to 100 days (20 weeks) of Parental Leave Pay at the national minimum wage. From 1 July 2025, that increases to 120 days (24 weeks).

You’ll need to take a minimum 12-week block first, but after that, the remaining days can be used flexibly over the next two years.

Can I access leave if I’ve experienced a stillbirth or infant death?

Under the Fair Work Act, you’re still entitled to unpaid parental leave if your baby is stillborn or passes away in the first 24 months. You may also be eligible for Parental Leave Pay. Speak to your employer with whatever you feel comfortable sharing — you’re still protected under the law, and support is available.

When should I apply for Paid Parental Leave?

You can apply through Centrelink up to 3 months before your due date. Once your baby arrives, you’ll need to upload proof of birth for payments to begin. It’s worth getting a head start — the process can take a bit of time.

Sources

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MyGov, Parental Leave Pay, March 2025

Services Australia, Parental Leave Pay for a child born or adopted from 1 July 2023, January 2025

Fair Work Ombudsman, Payment during parental leave, n.d