Currently, eligible employees who are primary carers of a new born or adopted child are entitled to 18 weeks of parental leave in addition to any employer provided entitlements. You may have heard that the Government wants to stop this 'double dipping' and has introduced the Fairer Paid Parental Leave Bill 2015.
If the Bill is passed employees will no longer be entitled to the Government's paid parental leave if their employer provides an equivalent or better alternative. This will not only have ramifications for employees but also for employers who have policies or contractual arrangements which seek to "top up" the government scheme.
The Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs is currently taking submissions on the Bill. The Committee's report is to be handed down on 15 September 2015. We will provide more information on the anticipated impacts of the Bill once the Committee's report has been handed down.
We would like to acknowledge the contribution of Julie Kneebone to this article.
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.