FAQ on parental leave

What procedures must I follow before I can take parental leave?
Your employer may specify their own procedures whether by workforce agreements, collective agreements or individual arrangements. Whichever agreement you have, it will only apply if it’s part of your contract of employment. If you don’t have any mutual agreement, the following provisions automatically apply under the fallback scheme

• Usually you will have to take your leave in one-week blocks, either separately or back-to-back. However, if your child is disabled, you can take one-day leave, or consecutive one-day leaves
• The most parental leave you can take in one year for one child is four weeks (if you have twins, this is extended to eight weeks)
• You must give your employer 21 days’ notice of your leave
• Your employer can put off your leave for up to six months if they can show that the period you suggest would somehow disrupt their business
• Your employer cannot postpone your leave if you give notice to take it immediately after your child is born, or immediately after your child is placed with you for adoption

Under what circumstances can my employer postpone my leave?
Your employer may be justified in postponing your leave if

• the work is at a seasonal peak at the time you have asked for leave
• a significant proportion of their workforce has requested parental leave for that same period
• you have a job that means that your absence at a particular time would unduly harm the business