From 1 July 2020, eligible employees can split their Parental Leave Pay (PLP) so they take it over 2 periods within 2 years.
Employees can claim PLP for 1 set period and 1 flexible period.
Previously, employees could only use PLP as one continuous 18 week period.
Services Australia manage the PLP payment system.
Parental Leave Pay
The first period is a set period of 12 weeks. This needs to be used within 12 months of the birth or adoption of a child, and can’t be split into more than 1 period.
Flexible Parental Leave Pay
The flexible period:
- is up to 30 days
- usually starts after the first period has ended
- can be used in flexible periods negotiated between the employee and employer
- has to be used within 24 months of a child’s birth or adoption.
Payment of the Parental Leave Pay Scheme
There hasn’t been any changes to how PLP is paid. In most cases, PLP payments are made to the employer, who then pays the employee.
PLP from the Australian Government doesn’t change paid parental leave from an employer. Employees can get both.