Parental leave should make life easier and fairer when you have a child. But taking parental leave isn’t always simple or fair.
Around 1 in 4 mums and 60% of eligible dads don’t claim their full entitlements.
Parental leave entitlements are complicated and the last thing you need when preparing for a child is unnecessary paperwork.
Families could be missing out on about $30,000 in parental leave payments.
The SDA has long advocated for better parental leave for working families. We’re currently conducting research to understand how members access parental leave entitlements and how it could be improved.
If you have taken, applied for or considered taking parental leave, we want to hear about your experience.
Know Your Rights: Parental Leave
Currently, eligible parents may access up to 52 weeks unpaid parental leave under the National Employment Standards and may request an additional 52 weeks, bringing the total unpaid leave entitlement up to 104 weeks.
This includes casual workers who are employed on a regular and systematic basis.
The SDA helped to deliver Government Paid Parental Leave in Australia in 2011, and we’ve been pushing to expand and improve it ever since.
Thanks to the strong advocacy of the SDA, workers can access 26 weeks of government paid parental leave. This applies for children born or adopted after 1 July 2026.
The Government Paid Parental Leave scheme provides government-funded Parental Leave at the national minimum wage to employees who meet the eligibility criteria.
If you’re pregnant, your employer must still provide you with a safe work environment.
If you’re finding your usual duties difficult or there is a risk to your health and safety or that of your baby, you can request adjustments to your duties to help with this.
SDA members receive information, support and advice from experts to answer any workplace question you may have.