At a glance
- Several important updates to the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 will apply from 1 July 2025.
- Certain absences now count toward the hours required for parental leave payment entitlement.
- Preterm baby payments are additional, and non-birth primary carers may qualify for parental leave payments if they stop working within a reasonable timeframe.
- The maximum weekly payment for parental leave has increased to NZD788.66, and payment timing is now clearly defined for specific cases.
Several important updates to the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 will apply from 1 July 2025, including:
- Clarification of eligibility: Certain absences will still count towards the hours worked when assessing entitlement to parental leave payments.
- Preterm baby payments: These are now confirmed as additional and do not reduce other leave entitlements.
- Expanded eligibility: Primary carers who are not the birth mother or their spouse / partner may now qualify for payments if they stop working within a reasonable timeframe after assuming care.
- Payment timing clarified: The start of the payment period is now clearly defined for preterm births and certain primary carers.
- Parental leave payment: The maximum weekly parental leave payment has increased to NZD788.66 for eligible employees and self-employed individuals.
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