Parental leave
Eligible employees are entitled to up to 52 weeks unpaid leave and may be eligible to receive payment from the government for 14 weeks of paid parental leave. You do not have to pay for parental leave unless you have agreed it as part of an employment agreement.
If you’re self-employed you may also be eligible for paid parental leave from the government. Find out more Information for Self-employed.
What you must do
- Tell your employee about their parental leave entitlements. An employee is eligible if they have worked for you for an average of 10 hours or more per week and at least one hour every week or 40 hours every month, in the six or 12 months before the expected due date.
- Allow your employee to start maternity leave of 14 continuous weeks up to six weeks before the expected due date. Note that the employee must inform you of their intention to take maternity leave at least three months prior to the expected due date.
- Consider, then approve or decline your employee’s request for parental leave within 21 days of receiving all of the required information. Use our Parental Leave Entitlement tool to work out whether your employee qualifies for parental leave. If they don’t qualify you can decline their request for leave.
- Confirm in writing the parental leave arrangements with your employee.
- Confirm the length of employment and income details on the employee’s application for the parental leave payment.
- Allow pregnant employees to take up to 10 days of unpaid special leave for purposes connected to the pregnancy, such as antenatal checks.
- Allow extended leave of up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave if your employee is entitled to it.
- If your employee has completed 6 months of continuous employment with your business, you must keep their job open for them for 14 weeks.
- If your employee has completed 12 months of continuous employment with your business, you must keep their job open for them for 52 weeks.
- In some instances you have the right to not hold the job open for your employee. See the employer obligations factsheet for more information.
- If you have to make an employee redundant while they are on parental leave, you must follow the usual requirements concerning redundancy as if the employee was not on leave.
What you could do
- Use our information and templates to help you and your employee work through the parental leave requirements.
- See the summary table below to work out which paid and unpaid leave entitlements a female employee can take.
- If your employee is the partner/father, see Summary of paid and unpaid leave entitlements to work out which leave entitlements your employee can take.
- Eligible employees are entitled to up to 52 weeks unpaid leave, which can have a big impact on a small business. You need to manage the consequences for your business, such as staff to cover the employee’s temporary absence.
Entitlement for parental leave for female employees
Female Employee |
14 weeks paid parental leave |
52 weeks unpaid extended leave (includes the 14 weeks of paid parental leave). |
10 days of special leave (unpaid) |
Female employee who meets the minimum hours requirement* and has worked for you for at least 12 months. |
Entitled |
Entitled |
Entitled |
Female employee who meets the minimum hours requirement* and has worked for you for at least 6 months. |
Entitled |
Not entitled |
Entitled |
Female employee who does NOT meet the minimum hours requirement* or has NOT worked for you for at least 6 months. |
Not entitled |
Not entitled |
Not entitled |
*Minimum hours requirement:
Female employees are eligible for parental leave if they have worked for you for an average of at least 10 hours a week, and at least one hour in every week OR 40 hours in every month, in the 6 or 12 months immediately before the baby’s expected due date.
