A Guide for Expectant and New Parents
Parental Leave
We Value Relationships
“We’re here to support you every step of the way”
Claire Wall, HR Manager
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this resource is to help navigate expectant working parents through the next exciting chapter of their life in association with the birth or adoption of their child.
Parental leave is part of the National Employment Standards (NES), and we encourage you to read through Fair Work website for all entitlements.
This resource is designed to explain the benefits available to you and guide you through the relevant policies, procedures and support structures that we have in place at Hacer Group.
Mark Lewis Director, General Manager
PREGNANCY AT WORK
We support women who continue to work while pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
We are committed to providing you with a healthy and safe environment for work as well as a workplace free of discrimination on the basis of pregnancy or potential pregnancy.
SAFE TO WORK?
We want you to be safe while pregnant at work.
A Manager may request medical evidence (with at least seven days’ notice) from a pregnant employee prior to the commencement of parental leave to determine if you are safe to work.
If you fail to provide medical evidence; or if the provided medical evidence indicates you are not safe to work, you may be directed to commence parental leave early (within six weeks prior to the expected date of delivery).
The leave taken before the birth will not reduce your entitlement to take 12 months’ parental leave after the birth.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Managing your health and wellbeing throughout pregnancy and after is important.
We recognise that if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, additional precautions may be required in addition to normal safe work procedures and practices.
MINIMISING RISK
If you are considering pregnancy, are pregnant or breastfeeding, please consider:
• Exposure to chemicals;
• Relevant immunisations you may need;
• Manual handling, repetitive lifting, or prolonged standing.
To minimise any risks to your pregnancy, please notify your supervisor, National EHSQ Manager or HR Manager as soon as possible about your pregnancy. This will help them as they assess appropriate modifications to your work environment.
PARENTAL LEAVE BEFORE
HOW DO I APPLY FOR PARENTAL LEAVE?
Complete the parental leave application form located on the Portal and submit this to your Line Manager for approval. Any supporting documentation needs to be provided with the application form at least 10 weeks before the start date of your leave.
COMMENCEMENT OF PARENTAL LEAVE
• for a pregnant employee, leave can start up to 6 weeks before the expected date of birth (or earlier if agreed), or within 24 months of the birth of the child. The parental leave must end within 24 months of the birth of the child.
• for an employee who isn’t pregrant, parental leave can be taken at any time within 24 months of the birth or placement of the child, but the leave must end within 24 months of the birth or placement of the child.
• for adoption or surrogacy arrangements, on the date of placement of your child.
• for primary care orders, from the date of taking on primary care parental responsibilities under the order.
PARENTAL LEAVE
ENTITLEMENTS
This policy applies to all full-time, part-time and eligible casual employees with at least 12 months’ regular, systematic and continuous service and with a reasonable expectation of ongoing employment on the same basis.
If eligible, you may take parental leave associated with the birth of your child (or your partner’s child) or the placement of a child with you for adoption, if you have (or will have) a responsibility for the care of that child.
• “your partner” means your spouse or de facto partner, or your former spouse or de facto partner.
• “your de facto partner” means another person (whether of the same or different sex as you) with whom you live in a relationship as a couple on a genuine domestic basis.
In the case of adoption-related leave, the child being adopted must be aged under 16 years at the day of placement and must not have lived continuously with you for 6 months or more prior to the date of placement.
You are entitled to 12 months’ unpaid parental leave which is to be taken within 24 months of the birth of the child.
It can be taken as:
• a single continuous period;
• flexibly for up to 100 days;
• or a combination of both.
You will not accrue paid leave entitlements while you are taking unpaid parental leave.
You are not entitled to payment for personal leave or public holidays during parental leave.
Leave Type Leave Entitlement
Primary Carer
12+ months service
12 weeks paid leave
Other Entitlements
» 6 months paid superannuation upon return to work
» Request to work under flexible working arrangements
» 12 months unpaid parental leave
» Can request an additional 12 months
Secondary Carer
12+ months service 2 weeks paid leave
» 12 months unpaid parental leave
Government Parental Leave Pay Visit https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/parental-leave-pay to see who is entitled to government parental leave pay.
If you are eligible for paid parental leave, you will be paid at your current rate at the time parental leave is taken.
Paid Parental Leave must be taken in the 12 weeks commencing on the date of birth/adoption of the child and the paid parental leave does not extend beyond 12 weeks commencing on the date of birth/adoption of the child.
For example, if you commence leave 4 weeks after the date of birth/adoption of the child, the available Hacer paid parental leave period will be 8 weeks.
The primary carer will need to have worked for a minimum of 12 months between leave occasions to be eligible for paid parental leave.
SUPERANNUATION
The primary carer will receive up to a maximum of 6 months of their standard superannuation contributions upon returning to work after Parental Leave, paid into their nominated superannuation fund, based on the period of parental leave that is taken.
For example, if the primary carer takes 1-month of parental leave (either paid or unpaid), they will be receive 1 month of superannuation contributions into their nominated superannuation fund.
If they take 8 months’ parental leave (a combination of paid and unpaid leave), they will only receive 6 months’ of superannuation contributions into their nominated superannuation fund.
WHILE ON
PARENTAL LEAVE
CAN I EXTEND MY PARENTAL LEAVE?
In certain circumstances, you can seek an extension to your parental leave.
You can request an extension of up to 12 months’ unpaid parental leave by submitting a request to your Line Manager and Human Resources at least 4 weeks prior to the nominated return date from parental leave.
Requests for an extension of parental leave will be seriously considered however may be refused on reasonable business grounds.
MAINTAINING COMMUNICATION AND CONTACT
Some people experience a sense of isolation during periods of parental leave, so we encourage you to stay in touch with your Manager and coworkers.
Here are some suggestions about how you can maintain contact and stay up-to-date regarding news at Hacer:
1. Discuss with your Manager your preferences as to whether and how you would like to be contacted while on parental leave
2. Ask that your email address is kept on your work unit’s email network, so that you receive relevant work-based information
3. Feel free to take part in social events throughout the year – most notifications will be published on the Hacer Portal
KEEPING IN TOUCH DAYS
While on unpaid parental leave, you can agree to undertake duties or perform work approved by your supervisor on a ‘keeping in touch day’. This is for the purpose of facilitating your return to work after parental leave.
Up to 10 ‘keeping in touch days’ can be worked. Please make sure you advise your Line Manager/HR & Payroll via email of the days/hours worked in order to be remunerated.
Please note: ‘Keeping in touch days’ do not break the continuity of the period of your unpaid parental leave and therefore do not alter the end date of your unpaid parental leave.
ARRANGEMENTS FLEXIBLE WORKING
You may request to return to work under a flexible working arrangement, e.g. part-time or job sharing.
This request should be made in writing and should be submitted to the General Manager no less than 6 weeks before the end date. The request should set out details of the change sought and the reasons for it.
If a flexible working arrangement is agreed between us and you, it does not result in a permanent variation to your employment contract.
The arrangement will be subject to review and the arrangement may be terminated by us or you by giving 2 weeks’ notice (in which case you will be required to resume your pre- leave role).
We may reject a request for a flexible working arrangement on reasonable business grounds.
For example, we may reject a proposed arrangement because:
• it would not allow you to perform your job to a sufficient degree;
• it would have an adverse impact on your work colleagues and/ or clients to a degree which is unreasonable;
• it would be too costly for us or would be likely to result in a significant loss in efficiency or productivity; and/or
• it would not be feasible or practical.
