Paid Parental Leave

Paid Parental Leave is a workplace right that gives parents the chance to take time away from work to care for their child with financial support. It was achieved through the efforts of the SDA and the union movement who worked hard to make sure families could have this protection at such an important stage of life.

The SDA Union is here to help support our members in the workplace, if you would like to speak to someone about roster issues, leave access or any other workplace issues, you can contact us here.

If you’re the carer of a child born or adopted on or after 1 July 2025, you may be eligible for up to 24 weeks of Parental Leave Pay, shared between you and your partner. This payment is made at the National Minimum Wage.

For Children Born or Adopted Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025:

If your child arrives during this period, you can access up to 22 weeks of Parental Leave Pay to share as a family, also paid at the National Minimum Wage.

Parental Leave Pay is part of the Government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme. It provides financial support to eligible employees caring for a newborn or newly adopted child. This scheme is separate from any company paid parental leave your employer may offer.

Although it’s a government payment, your employer will be the one who sends you the money. The process is usually:

• The government pays your employer.
• Your employer then pays you.

This means you’ll generally receive the payment through your normal payroll system.

To qualify for Parental Leave Pay, you’ll need to make a claim, actively be caring for your newborn or adopted child, and fit into one of the following categories:

• the birth mother of the newborn child
• the partner of the birth mother
• the child’s biological father
• the partner of the child’s biological father
• the child’s adoptive parent
• the partner of an adoptive parent
• gaining parents in a surrogacy arrangement
• the partner of a gaining parent in a surrogacy arrangement
• a person caring for a child under exceptional circumstances.

You’ll also have to satisfy all of these requirements:

• an income test
• a work test
• residence rules

You can still be eligible if you’re self employed or a sole trader, as long as you meet all the eligibility criteria, including the work test.

If you have a newborn, you must have either registered or applied to register the birth with your state or territory birth registry.

If you’ve had twins, triplets or another multiple birth, you can only receive Parental Leave Pay for one child. If both parents plan to share Parental Leave Pay, you’ll each need to submit a claim for the same child.

If your baby was stillborn, you may be able to receive either Parental Leave Pay or the Stillborn Baby Payment. Services Australia has resources to help you choose the payment that’s right for your circumstances.

Your family can also choose to share Parental Leave Pay to give you more flexibility with work and caring arrangements. Each parent will need to make their own claim. It’s important to decide together how many days each of you will take, as there are rules about how many days can be shared and taken at the same time.

1. Talk to Your Employer Early

Start by contacting your employer at least 10 weeks before your child’s expected birth or adoption date. This is when you’ll negotiate your leave dates and let them know you plan to claim Parental Leave Pay.

When you decide to inform your employer that you are pregnant, it is important to arrange a formal meeting with a witness present. It is also important to prepare for the meeting. Ensure you have all of the necessary documentation, for example, a doctor’s certificate stating you are pregnant and the expected due date, and a plan in relation to what you need to discuss such as any needs you have identified in relation to your ability to perform your duties.

You should also record the outcome of the meeting, including any requests for changes to your work environment, duties or hours, and the time frames for when these will happen.

Your employer needs to be registered with the government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme to process payments. If they aren’t required to provide your Parental Leave Pay but choose to opt in, they’ll need to register before you submit your claim.

The SDA can help you prepare for this conversation. We can review your workplace policy, explain your entitlements, and support you if you run into any issues with your employer.

2. Plan Your Leave Before You Claim

Before lodging your claim, decide what arrangement will work best for your family. Only claim the days you plan to take.

If the child has another parent, discuss how many days each of you will take; you can split or share some or all of your days. The SDA can help you understand your rights in splitting or sharing leave and ensure your employer follows the rules.

3. Check Your Online Accounts

The easiest way to claim is online through Centrelink.

You’ll need a Centrelink online account linked to myGov. If you don’t already have these accounts, you’ll need to create them and verify your identity before starting your claim.

If you can’t claim online, you can also call Centrelink for help.

4. Gather Your Documents

Have all supporting documents ready before you start. This helps you answer questions in the claim quickly and avoid delays.

5. Lodge Your Claim

Once you’ve spoken to your employer, decided on your leave, and prepared your documents, you’re ready to submit your claim. Doing everything early will help you receive your payments smoothly and on time.

If you run into any issues with your employer during this process, call the SDA.

Services Australia manages Parental Leave Pay. They handle applications, eligibility checks, and payments to your employer. Click here to apply or learn more about eligibility.

From 1 July 2025, employees who receive Parental Leave Pay for a newborn or adopted child will also get a 12% superannuation contribution on their payment. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will transfer these contributions straight into the employee’s nominated super fund.

Yes. You may resign at any time during your parental leave by giving notice in accordance with your enterprise agreement or award.

No. You can’t be dismissed because you are on parental leave and you can’t be dismissed because you are pregnant, are sick during your pregnancy and the doctor says you must take sick leave or special maternity leave, or your partner is pregnant.

Making the transition back to work following the birth or adoption of a child can be a challenging and emotional time. This section of the guide sets out steps you can take to make sure that your transition from full-time caring back into the workplace is as smooth as possible.

Negotiating your return to work from parental leave can be difficult, particularly when trying to secure suitable hours in the position you worked in prior to taking parental leave.

If you have any problems negotiating your return to work, please contact your Delegate, Organiser or the SDA directly so we can assist.

Return to Work Guarantee

You have the right to return to your pre-parental leave position at the end of your parental leave. If you transferred to a safe job or temporarily changed your hours of work or tasks during your pregnancy, you are entitled to return to the position you worked in prior to the transfer or change.

If your job no longer exists you have the right to a position for which you are qualified and suited, nearest in pay and status to your pre-parental leave position.

What are the procedures for returning to work after parental leave?

Most SDA enterprise agreements state that at least four weeks before your parental leave is due to end, you must provide your employer with written confirmation that you will be returning to work on the date previously advised. This is not required under the National Employment Standards.

Replacement employees

A replacement employee is an employee that performs the work of an employee who is on parental leave. Replacement employees must be notified by the employer that:

• The role is temporary
• The employee on leave has the right to their pre-parental leave job when they return to work; and
• The employee and the employer may have the right to end or cancel the parental leave early in certain circumstances.

This means that replacement employees understand that they may not have continuing employment with the employer or will not have the right to continue in the position.

Your employer must not give your position to someone on a permanent basis in your absence and they cannot use a replacement employee as an excuse to not give you your pre-parental leave position when you return, unless you have requested to shorten your leave.