Public sector workers across NSW are to be encouraged to share childcaring responsibilities equally between partners under an overhaul of the State’s paid parental leave scheme.
Announcing the changes, Premier Dominic Perrottet said that from October there would no longer be a distinction between a ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ carer, “meaning every mother and father in the public sector will be entitled to at least 14 weeks’ paid parental leave.”
“The NSW Government will also offer parents an additional two weeks’ ‘bonus leave’ if paid parental leave entitlements are more equally shared between partners,” Mr Perrottet said.
“While most parents across Australia are entitled to paid primary parental leave, only 12 per cent of those who take it are men,” he said.
“Supporting all parents to spend more precious days with their newborn children helps them form bonds that last a lifetime.”
Mr Perrottet said the ‘bonus leave’ scheme was one of the first of its kind in Australia, and would apply where each parent (including parents employed outside the public sector) took at least 12 weeks’ parental leave and exhausted any paid parental leave offered by their employers.
“Single parents will be entitled to the full 16 weeks of paid parental leave,” he said.
The Premier said the window in which public servants could take paid parental leave would also be extended from one year to two years after birth, along with paid parental leave to long-term or permanent foster carers.
Treasurer Matt Kean said the State hoped that private companies and other Governments would follow its lead.
“Children don’t see their parents as ‘primary carers’ or ‘secondary carers’ – just as mums or dads,” Mr Kean said.
“Encouraging more dads to take up parental leave is crucial to supporting all parents to be able to choose to have a career, have a family or have both.”
