Classic form
Parental leave form for Australian employees
A parental leave form records the expected birth or placement date, the leave start and end dates, how the employee will be paid while away and how they would like to stay in touch and come back. This Australian version follows the Fair Work notice rules and separates government Parental Leave Pay from the employer's own paid leave.
The form itself
A static copy of the finished form, exactly as it renders. Nothing here can be filled in or submitted, so read it as a reference and build your own from the button above.
Every field, and what it collects
The complete field list, in the order respondents meet it.
- Expected date of birth or placementDateRequired
- Leave startsDateRequired
- Leave endsDateRequired
- Are you claiming Parental Leave Pay from Services Australia?Single choiceRequired
- Options: Yes, I have claimed or will claim · No · Not sure yet
- Meridian paid parental leave, 10 weeks for eligible staffSingle choiceRequired
- Options: Full pay for 10 weeks · Half pay for 20 weeks · Not eligible or not claiming
- Use annual leave as part of your time off?Single choiceRequired
- Options: No · Yes, before parental leave starts · Yes, at the end of parental leave
- Keeping in touch days, paid at your normal rateSingle choiceRequired
- Options: Yes, happy to be invited · Maybe, ask me nearer the time · No thanks
- Your plan for coming backSingle choiceRequired
- Options: Same role and hours · Same role, would like to discuss part time · Not sure yet
- Your signatureSignatureRequired
Dates
Pay during leave
Staying in touch and coming back
What each field on this form collects
The expected date of birth or placement comes first, then the leave start and end dates side by side. Three single choices cover pay: whether the employee is claiming Parental Leave Pay from Services Australia, how they will take the company's own paid leave, and whether annual leave will be used before or after. Two more record their view on keeping in touch days and their plan for coming back. The employee signs.
Notice and the Fair Work rules
Under the National Employment Standards, eligible employees with at least 12 months of continuous service can take up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave and request up to 12 months more. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that an employee should give written notice at least 10 weeks before the leave starts, and confirm the dates at least 4 weeks before. The intro repeats both timeframes so nobody has to look them up. The form is the written notice; the confirmation 4 weeks out is a second step the People team prompts.
Three kinds of pay, kept apart
Pay during parental leave can come from three places, and employees often mix them up. Parental Leave Pay is a government payment from Services Australia, claimed by the employee and usually paid through the employer. Employer paid parental leave is the business's own scheme, here 10 weeks at full pay or 20 at half pay. Annual leave is the employee's own entitlement, which they can choose to use around the parental leave. A separate question for each means payroll knows exactly what to set up.
How to adapt this form
A business with a primary and secondary carer scheme adds a question asking which applies. A school adds the term the employee expects to return in. A business outside Australia replaces the Fair Work and Services Australia references with its own country's leave and pay rules, which differ widely.
What makes this form work
Three pay sources, three questions
Government Parental Leave Pay, the company's paid leave and annual leave each get their own choice. Payroll sets up each correctly, and the employee sees what they are entitled to from each source.
Notice rules in the intro
Ten weeks before, confirm four weeks before. Putting the Fair Work timeframes in the first lines means the form arrives on time more often.
Not sure is allowed
Both the Parental Leave Pay and return questions accept not sure yet. Plans change around a birth, and the form invites a conversation rather than a commitment.
Questions people ask
How much parental leave can an employee take in Australia?
Eligible employees can take up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave under the National Employment Standards, and can request up to 12 more months, which the employer can refuse only on reasonable business grounds. Eligibility generally needs 12 months of continuous service. The Fair Work Ombudsman has the details.
How much notice is needed for parental leave?
Written notice at least 10 weeks before the leave starts, or as soon as practicable, and confirmation of the dates at least 4 weeks before. This form serves as the written notice. Employers should confirm the leave in writing, and the People team here books a planning chat at the same time.
What is the difference between Parental Leave Pay and parental leave?
Parental leave is time off work, an entitlement under the National Employment Standards. Parental Leave Pay is a government payment from Services Australia for eligible parents, usually paid through the employer. An employer may also offer its own paid leave on top.
How do keeping in touch days work during parental leave?
Days an employee on unpaid parental leave can choose to work, such as for training or planning, without ending their leave. They are voluntary and paid for the work done. Employees can take a limited number under the Fair Work rules. This form asks whether the employee is happy to be invited.
Is an employee guaranteed their job back after parental leave?
Under the National Employment Standards, an employee returning from parental leave is entitled to their pre leave job, or a comparable one if that job no longer exists. They can also request flexible working arrangements on return, such as part time hours, and the employer must respond in writing within 21 days.
Can the dates be changed after the form is submitted?
Yes, within the Fair Work rules on notice for changes. Submitted responses cannot be edited, so the employee tells the People team and a new form or a written confirmation records the new dates. The confirmation 4 weeks before is the usual time to adjust.
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Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .