The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) has issued a new Circular detailing changes to Parental Leave Pay aimed at improving flexibility for primary carers.
Circular 2020/8: Changes to Parental Leave Pay to Improve Flexibility says the amendments provide wider options to families accessing Parental Leave Pay and relate to the payment, not access to leave.
“Amendments to the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010, by way of the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Flexibility Measures) Act 2020, aim to support women’s economic independence by allowing primary carers to access Parental Leave Pay more flexibly and increase participation by women in the workforce after a period of parental leave,” the Circular says.
“Under the previous Paid Parental Leave scheme, eligible parents could only access Parental Leave Pay in a single continuous block of up to 18 weeks (90 payable days), and within 12 months of the birth or adoption of their child,” it says.
“Under the new scheme, parents are able to access the payment of up to 18 weeks as two separate types of Parental Leave Pay.”
The Circular says the two types of pay are a Paid Parental Leave period of up to 12 weeks which is paid as a single continuous block and up to 30 Flexible Paid Parental Leave days.
“These need to be used after the Paid Parental Leave period and within 24 months of the birth or adoption of their child,” it says.
“Flexible Paid Parental Leave days can be used both before and after they have returned to work”
The Circular says the changes affect families with children who were born or adopted on or after 1 July this year with Services Australia systems set to be able to support the changes from 14 September.
The APSC’s Circular 2020/8: Changes to Parental Leave Pay to Improve Flexibility can be accessed at this PS News link.
