Better parental leave
The parental leave changes apply to many APS parents. The paid leave entitlements are available to both primary and secondary caregivers up to 24 months after your baby is born. This opens up this leave entitlement to parents who have had a baby in the last 2 years.
For secondary caregivers, more leave entitlements will be added each year as it increments to 18 weeks over the life of the agreement. Secondary caregivers can expect:
a) The start of the enterprise agreements: 8 weeks
b) March 2025: 11 weeks
c) March 2026: 14 weeks
d) February 2027: 18 weeks
To help explain the impact of these benefits, we’ve created case studies below which you can apply to your own circumstance.
| APS bargaining parental leave: What could you get? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Case study 1 | Mel is pregnant and will go on parental leave on 1 December 2023. | Mel currently gets 14 weeks paid parental leave under her current enterprise agreement. | Mel could get 4 more weeks’ paid parental leave, or 18 weeks in total, if the new enterprise agreement comes into effect within 24 months of giving birth. |
| Case study 2 | Fred works for the APS and his partner will give birth in November 2023. Fred will be the secondary caregiver. | Fred currently gets 4 weeks paid parental leave that he can use anytime up until 12 months after his baby is born. |
If the enterprise agreement comes into effect after Fred’s baby is born in November, he could get:
Fred can now use parental leave up to 24 months after his baby is born. |
| Case study 3 | Marcus is adopting a child with his partner. He will be the primary caregiver after the baby is adopted in January 2024. | Marcus currently gets 14 weeks paid parental leave that he can take up to 32 weeks after the baby is born. |
Marcus could get 4 additional weeks paid parental leave if the enterprise agreement comes into effect, after he adopts his baby. He now has an option to use his leave for up to 24 months after the placement of his baby. |
| Case study 4 | Sally had her baby in January 2023 and has come back to work from 14 weeks paid parental leave. | Sally can get 4 additional weeks paid parental leave if the new enterprise agreement comes into effect. | Sally gets more paid parental leave because the new entitlements let her access paid leave anytime up until 24 months after her baby is born. For Sally, this means up to January 2025. |
| Case study 5 | Johnny joined the APS this week and while starting his new job, findsout he and his partner will have a baby in August 2024. He will be thesecondary caregiver. | Johnny currently can’t access any paid parental leave because he hasnot worked with his agency for 12 months. |
If the new enterprise agreement comes into effect, Johnny would now get 8 weeks paid parental leave when his baby is born. On top of this, Johnny will also get:
|
| Case study 6 | Lara and James both work for the APS and their new enterprise agreement has come into effect. Lara gives birth to their daughter 8 weeks prematurely. | Previously, Lara and James would be required to take their paid parental leave entitlements early. | Under the new enterprise agreement, Lara and James will get 5 weeks paid premature birth leave, as well as the paid parental leave increases. |