"Dad and Partner Pay"

Fathers and partners have had a right to unpaid "short" parental leave immediately after the birth or adoption of their child for many years. The entitlement is for three weeks of unpaid leave (though of course paid annual leave can be used instead, if accrued).

Now, as a further development of the Paid Parental Leave scheme, fathers and partners can apply to the Family Assistance Office to be paid the minimum wage for two weeks out of the three, IF they meet the same eligibility criteria that a mother needs to meet for paid parental leave. That means, they need to have earnings of less than $150,000 per annum, and have worked for at least 330 hours in 10 of the 13 months prior to the birth or adoption.

Unlike the broader PPL scheme, dad and partner's pay will be paid directly by the Family Assistance Office and not channelled through the employer's payroll.

The scheme commenced from 1 January 2013.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.