Apply for Paid Parental Leave
alertferret71As a working parent, managing your time and finances can be a difficult juggling act. The good news is that the Australian government offers a Paid Parental Leave scheme to help ease the financial burden of taking time off work to care for a newborn or adopted child.
To be eligible for the Paid Parental Leave scheme, you must have worked for at least 10 of the 13 months before the baby is born or placed with you for adoption and have at least 330 days of work (including paid leave) in the 10 months before the baby is born or placed with you. You must also earn less than $150,000 a year.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply for government paid parental leave by filling out an application form and sending it to the Family Assistance Office. The leave can be taken any time within the first year after the baby is born or placed with you for adoption.
Steps on how to apply for paid parental leave
When it comes to paid parental leave, Australia is one of the most generous countries in the world. Here are the steps you need to take to apply for paid parental leave in Australia:
- Eligibility
To be eligible for paid parental leave in Australia, you must have:
- been working for your employer for at least 12 months before the birth or adoption of your child
- have or expect to have primary responsibility for the care of your child
- Application process
To apply for paid parental leave, you will need to:
- provide your employer with a completed parental leave form
- provide your employer with a copy of your child’s birth certificate or adoption papers
- Length of leave
Paid parental leave in Australia is paid for a maximum of 18 weeks.
- Payment
You will receive the national minimum wage for the hours you would have ordinarily worked, up to a maximum of 18 weeks.
