Expansion of paid parental leave passes parliament

New parents will be able to take half a year of paid parental leave by mid-2026 after new laws passed parliament on Monday.

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE CHANGES

• Two weeks of additional payments will be added to the paid parental leave scheme from July 1, 2024 until it reaches 26 weeks from July 1, 2026
• Both parents can take four weeks of leave at the same time if they choose to from 2026 in a bid to boost flexibility
• The scheme currently provides 20 weeks of payment, with two weeks reserved for each parent on a use it or lose it basis
• The changes are expected to benefit more than 180,000 families each year
• The paid parental leave scheme will cost the government about $4.4 billion a year from 2026/27
• The scheme also allows parents to take the leave in blocks as small as a day at a time and work in between to make it easier to transition back into work