August 16, 2026

Paid parental leave

Landmark parental leave reform follows Baby Priya’s death

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A new bill to amend the Fair Work Act to prevent employers from cancelling paid parental leave for parents who experience a stillbirth or neonatal death has been introduced into federal parliament. 

The recent introduction of ‘Baby Priya’s Bill’ in Federal Parliament has come because of strong union advocacy for paid parental leave rights after a mother was left devasted by the death of her 42-day-old baby and the subsequent cancellation of her paid parental leave by her employer.  

Baby Priya died at just six weeks old. In the aftermath, her mother was informed that her paid parental leave entitlement was no longer valid, while her father continued to receive paid parental support under his own leave arrangement. 

Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth acknowledged the broader issue, saying, “[i]n some circumstances we’ve had employers immediately cancel that leave and ask parents to take annual leave, and if they don’t have annual leave, to come back to work straight away.”  

Minister Rishworth noted that Priya’s mother’s story is not uncommon. 

With support from their union, the Australian Services Union, Priya’s parents started a petition calling for stronger protection for grieving parents. After gaining 30,000 signatures, they brought their advocacy efforts to Canberra for legislative change. 

On October 9, 2025, the government introduced ‘Baby Priya’s Bill’ to parliament. The bill will ensure parents who suffer from a stillbirth or neonatal death can still access employer-funded paid parental leave. 

Currently, workplace policies relating to taking leave after stillbirth or neonatal death vary widely. Some workplace arrangements may have specific conditions about what happens in a stillbirth or early death of an infant, while for many, entitlements remain unclear. 

In many instances where paid parental leave is offered but the details about the above circumstances are not discussed, it is at the discretion of the employer about whether or not paid parental leave is cancelled. In this case, there is no legal protection for parents to keep their employer-paid parental leave entitlements. 

With the support from the Opposition, Baby Priya’s Bill is expected to pass and become law in the coming weeks, marking a significant step forward in compassionate workplace policy.

Paid Parental Leave boost on its way through Federal Parliament

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Unions have welcomed the Albanese Government’s introduction of legislation to deliver its promised boost to the Paid Parental Leave Scheme into Federal Parliament.

The legislation is set to ensure that superannuation will be paid on all Government Paid Parental Leave from 1 July 2025.

The move seeks to acknowledge the importance of time away from the workforce for caring duties and reduce the impact of paid parental leave on parents’ retirement incomes.

Australian Council of Trade Unions President, Michele O’Neil a step towards achieving gender equality.

“Women make up the majority of primary caregivers in this country, leading to what has been referred to as ‘the motherhood penalty’, where they face greater economic insecurity because of time out of the workforce to care for children,” Ms O’Neil said.

“The effect of lower income compounds over time, increasing the gap between men and women’s superannuation balances at retirement with women retiring with around 25 per cent less super than men.

“Paying super on Paid Parental Leave is an important step to reducing the gendered gaps in retirement savings.”

The payment of Paid Parental Leave was announced in March alongside the launch of the National Strategy for Gender Equality.

Ask Shaye: Bonus paid parental leave

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I am employed with NSW Health. My partner is employed in the private sector and has access to 10 weeks of employer paid parental leave. Am I still eligible to access the two weeks bonus paid parental leave, even though my partner also has access to employer paid parental leave?

Yes. As outlined in section 5.1.2 of the Leave Matters for the NSW Health Service Policy Directive, you are still entitled to access the two weeks bonus paid parental leave. However, unlike employees who may be a single parent or whose partner does not have access to employer paid parental leave, both you and your partner must have exhausted your paid parental leave entitlements prior to accessing the two weeks bonus paid parental leave.

Ask Shaye: Enhanced parental leave

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I am a permanent full-time nurse in an NSW Health public hospital and my wife and I

are having a baby. My wife is due on 7 September 2024. My wife does not work with NSW Health, but her employer will give her some time off with government paid parental leave. I want to know whether I get parental leave as well, as her partner.

Yes, you do.

Historically, under the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives (State) Award 2023 (the Award), maternity leave and parental leave was available for the parent who took primary responsibility of their child.

This is now changing (thanks to years of lobbying the state government) with the recent “enhanced parental leave” provisions by the NSW Government. The enhanced leave provisions provide greater flexibility to both parents in managing leave and care arrangements.

The new provisions became effective from 1 October 2022 and apply to children born on or after 1 October 2022.

These provisions entitle you (as the partner) to 14 weeks paid parental leave “if the leave is associated with the birth of a child of the employee, the employee’s partner or the employee’s legal surrogate, provided you are a permanent employee and you have completed 40 weeks of continuous service at the date of the child’s birth.”

Budget delivers welcome funding for health and aged care

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The largest union in the country, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) welcomes the Albanese Government’s $8.5 billion in the Budget for health, including $2.8 billion to strengthen Medicare and $2.2 billion for aged care to continue implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations.

The ANMF applauds new Medicare rebates for midwives to provide longer consultations before and after child birth; additional bulk-billed, urgent care clinics; higher Medicare rebates for women to see a gynaecologist for endometriosis and access to longer consultations; expanded, free mental health services; new PBS listings for invasive breast cancer and heart disease and bowel cancer screening and increased Commonwealth contributions to the cost of care under the National Health Reform Agreement.

ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said tax cuts; $1.1 billion in superannuation contributions for paid parental leave (PPL); funding for further wage rises for aged care workers; paid clinical placements for nursing and midwifery students and reductions in HECS debts, would also help ease the ever-increasing cost-of-living pressures for frontline nurses, midwives and care workers.

“This Budget is good news for our ANMF members,” Ms Butler said.

“The Government’s continuing commitment to investment in health and aged care addresses a number of issues that have been impacting the ability of our nurses, midwives and care workers to deliver quality care and creates a pathway for further, and much needed, policy reforms leading to a modern Medicare and improved access to timely health care.

“While full details will follow, the Government’s commitment to funding further wage increases in aged care will certainly be welcomed by under-paid and undervalued, predominantly female, workers. We commend the Government for recognising the true value of the work performed in traditionally female dominated industries.

“But we are calling on the Government to commit to bold reforms, which empower nurses and midwives to work to their full scope of practice – and the additional MBS rebates announced in tonight’s Budget for midwives, is a promising first-step for our members.

“The Government must remove historic barriers which continue to prevent Australians from accessing quality care when and where they need it, without the need to see a doctor.

“Placing nurses and midwives at the forefront of patient-centred care is the answer to fixing and future-proofing health and aged care.”

Federal government expands Paid Parental Leave

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Families will soon have access to significantly more Paid Parental Leave, with the Albanese Government securing legislation to extend the scheme to 26 weeks by 2026.

This expansion of the scheme aims to help close the gender pay gap and create a more equitable and supportive system for working families across the country. An estimated 180,000 families utilise Paid Parental Leave annually.

The improvements will see a gradual increase of two weeks each year to the Paid Parental Leave scheme, reaching the full 26 weeks by July 2026. Under the current scheme, parents receive 20 weeks of paid leave.

The expanded scheme also allows both parents to share the leave entitlement, improving accessibility to the scheme. Notably, the minimum leave reserved for each parent is increased to four weeks, encouraging greater paternal involvement in childcare.

Michele O’Neil, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, has welcomed the changes, highlighting their potential to address the “motherhood effect.” This phenomenon often sees women’s earnings significantly decline after childbirth.

“Raising a child can make balancing already stretched budgets a challenge, this increased financial support for working parents is welcome in a cost-of-living crisis,” Ms O’Neil said.

However, O’Neil emphasised the need to consider further enhancements, including extending leave to 52 weeks and increasing the pay rate above the national minimum wage.

“To build on this already great work we would like to see further improvements in the scheme including extended it to 52 weeks and increasing the rate of pay from the National Minimum Wage, to ensure we have a paid parental leave scheme that meets the needs of women, families and our economy,” Ms O’Neil added.

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