About Parental Leave Pay payments

This payment helps them take time off work to care for a newborn or recently adopted child. The amount of payment, number of days and ways they can use the payment depends on when their child was born or entered their care.

Who can get it

With approval from either the birth mother, the first adoptive parent or first gaining parent in a surrogacy arrangement, any parent can claim Parental Leave Pay. If your employee needs help to see if they are eligible, they can find out more about who can get Parental Leave Pay.

Employees may still be eligible for Parental Leave Pay if they’ve stopped working due to special circumstances. You can read more about exceptions to the work test for Parental Leave Pay.

How much your employee will get

The number of Parental Leave Pay days a family can get depends on when their child came into their care.

This payment is taxable and paid at the rate of the National Minimum Wage.

From 1 July 2025, the rate of Parental Leave Pay is $948.10 per week, before tax.

Everyone gets Parental Leave Pay at the same weekly payment rate. This is regardless of how many hours your employee was working or how much they were earning before going on leave.

Paid Parental Leave Superannuation Contribution

If your employee’s child is born or adopted from 1 July 2025, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will pay them a superannuation contribution. You don’t need to calculate or pay the superannuation contribution. This will be paid directly to your employee’s superannuation fund after the relevant financial year has ended, starting from July 2026.

Read more about the Paid Parental Leave Superannuation Contribution on the ATO website.

How your employee can take their days

Your employee can work before or after any periods of Parental Leave Pay. They can use it on days they’re not working, including weekdays, weekends, holidays or any time they’re on leave from work. There are some exceptions if your employee works for allowable reasons on days they’re getting Parental Leave Pay.

Employees can also take Parental Leave Pay before, after or at the same time as paid or unpaid leave.

We’ll tell you the exact dates you’ll need to provide Parental Leave Pay to your employee.

Your employee can get Parental Leave Pay as any of the following:

• a single block
• multiple smaller blocks
• single days
• a combination of smaller blocks and single days.

These options give your employee flexibility to make their days work for them. Employees may want to match their Parental Leave Pay days to the days they were working before they went on leave. For example, they could take multiple smaller blocks of days if they were working part time before going on leave.

How it affects existing leave entitlements

The scheme doesn’t give your employees an entitlement to leave. However, unpaid parental leave is a part of the National Employment Standards which relates to all employees. Each parent can take 12 months or up to 24 months if you, as their employer, agree to it. You can find out more about parental leave and related entitlements on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

It also doesn't change any of the existing leave entitlements you offer your employee. You may currently provide paid maternity or parental leave through an industrial agreement or law. If you do, you can’t withdraw the entitlement to that leave while the agreement or law is in effect.

Parental Leave Pay is in addition to their employer provided leave entitlements. This means they can access both if they are entitled to it.

Your employee getting Parental Leave Pay also doesn’t mean they’ll get additional leave entitlements.

You can find out more about employment entitlements on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.