Payment during parental leave

Changes to Parental Leave Pay

Parental Leave Pay changed from 1 July 2024. For a summary of the changes, visit Paid Parental Leave scheme changes.

Employees can receive payments while they’re on parental leave.

On this page:

Payment types

Some employees can get payments during parental leave from either or both:

Australian Government Parental Leave Pay

Eligible employees who are the carer of a child born or adopted from 1 July 2024 can get up to 22 weeks’ Parental Leave Pay, which is paid at the National Minimum Wage.

Services Australia is the government organisation that manages the Parental Leave Pay scheme. For more information visit Services Australia – Parental Leave Pay.

For information about parental leave pay for a child born or adopted between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024, visit Services Australia - Parental Leave Pay for a child born or adopted from 1 July 2023.

For information about parental leave pay for a child born or adopted before 1 July 2023, visit Services Australia - Parental Leave Pay for a child born or adopted before 1 July 2023.

Record-keeping for Parental Leave Pay

Employers whose employees are receiving Parental Leave Pay should follow their usual record-keeping requirements for employee payments.

Employees who get Parental Leave Pay must get a pay slip for each payment.

Employee payslips and records must clearly identify payments of Parental Leave Pay.

Only certain deductions can be made from Parental Leave Pay. For more information, visit Services Australia – Providing Parental Leave Pay.

Further information can be found on our Pay slips and Record-keeping pages.

Employer funded parental leave payments

Employers can provide parental leave payments in agreements, employment contracts, or workplace policies.

The rules about receiving paid parental leave will depend on the relevant agreement, contract or policy.

Employees who have questions about their employer’s parental leave payments should speak to their employer first.

Example: Employee receiving both kinds of payment during parental leave 

Zahra is a full-time aged care nurse. Zahra starts parental leave as the primary carer of her baby. She tells her employer, Yasmin, that she plans on taking 12 months unpaid parental leave.

Zahra is eligible for the Australian Government's Parental Leave Pay. She contacts Services Australia to claim the payment.

Zahra is covered by her employer’s enterprise agreement, which also provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave at her usual wage.

Zahra will receive both the Parental Leave Pay and the employer funded paid leave during her 12 month leave period.

Yasmin keeps records of when Zahra was receiving each payment and includes information on Zahra’s payslips about the payments.

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