The following changes to the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 will come into force on 1 April 2015:
- paid parental leave will increase from 14 weeks to 16 weeks;
- For babies born on or after 1 April 2015, the Government will increase the parental tax credit from $150 a week to $220 a week, and extend the payment period from 8 weeks to 10 weeks.
From 1 April 2016 parental leave payments will apply to more workers in particular to people who have recently changed jobs, seasonal and casual workers, and workers with more than one employer, and leave entitlement will increase by two weeks again to 18 weeks.
For an in-depth guide on the Act including the latest changes please see our eBook 'Parental Leave Guide 2015'
Employer Support Package members please see the Library section of the Employers Toolbox to download this guide. Non members can purchase from the website here.