Australia Extends Paid Parental Leave to 6 Months

Australia is working hard to increase protections and support for parents.

On March 18, national lawmakers passed the biggest expansion to the country’s already robust paid parental leave policy. As a part of the new legislation, paid parental leave has been extended to six months, to accommodate more time for maternal and paternal parents and has been altered to enable both parents to take leave concurrently for up to four weeks.

As of July 2024, the six-month leave will break down into four weeks of maternity leave (leave offered specifically to mothers or primary caregivers), four weeks of paternity leave (leave offered specifically to fathers or partners) and up to 14 weeks of parental leave (which is typically defined as supplementary to maternity or paternity leave and can be taken by either parent). The amount of parental leave will increase by two weeks every year until 2026, and the rate of pay will be in line with the national minimum wage—around $882.75 AUD or $580 USD per week.

Legislators expect that the 1.4 billion dollar investment will expand the program to benefit 180,000 families each year. “This is the biggest boost to Paid Parental Leave since it was created by the former Labor Government in 2011, noted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a press release. “Our policy will give families more leave and more flexibility, to ensure the system works in a way that’s best for them. A parental leave system that empowers the full and equal participation of women will be good for business, good for families and good for our economy.”

Amanda Rishworth, the Australian Minister for Social Services emphasized the new program’s “great strides” toward accessibility, flexibility and gender equitability. “The face of the modern Australian family has changed significantly since the scheme was first introduced by Labor in 2011. Our changes ensure that the scheme will be able to better address the needs of working Australian families and provide greater security as they embark on this new chapter of their life with a newborn or adopted child.”

While companies in the United States have made huge strides over the past 20 years to improve paid parental leave—nearly twice as many companies offer parental leave now compared to 2005—as a whole, the US remains one of just six countries and the only high-income country with no national paid family and medical leave.

If you are passionate about advocating for federal paid parental leave, consider volunteering with or donating to organizations like Chamber for Mothers, Paid Leave for the US and Paid Leave for All. Every little step forward can bring America closer to a better future for parents and their babies.