Policy Owner and Effective Date

People and Culture
Effective Date: 1 July 2019
Version 1

Purpose

To provide guidance on the application for paid parental leave.

Scope

All permanent employees.

Policy Statement

TEG offers paid parental leave to eligible full-time or part-time employees. This Policy does not apply to casuals, contractors or third party vendors.

Eligibility and Entitlement

On the birth or placement of a child, a full-time or part-time employee who:

• is eligible for unpaid parental leave and has primary responsibility for the care of the child; and
• a minimum of 6 months’ continuous service with TEG from:
  • the employee’s commencement date; or
  • the date the employee returned to work from any previous period of unpaid parental leave (if applicable)
• is entitled to 8 weeks paid parental leave to employees that become the primary care giver (provided the employee takes at least this period of unpaid parental leave).
• 4 weeks paid parental leave on base salary for employees who are the non-primary carer after their partner/de facto partner has given birth or their partner /de facto partner becomes the primary carer for an adopted child (to be included in any period of concurrent leave).

The 6 months’ continuous service must have been completed prior to the date of commencement of the parental leave.

The period of paid parental leave is concurrent with unpaid parental leave. Paid parental leave does not extend the maximum period of available unpaid parental leave under legislation. Normal leave benefits continue to accrue during any period of paid parental leave.

For the avoidance of doubt an employee who takes up to 8 weeks Concurrent Leave (as defined in the TEG unpaid parental leave policy) (e.g. to provide care and support to the child’s primary care giver at birth or placement) is not entitled to the 8 weeks paid parental leave given to the primary care giver.

Company Paid Parental Leave is provided once per parental leave event, as defined in this policy.

Parental Leave Event: A parental leave event occurs when an employee becomes a primary carer and commences a period of parental leave in relation to the birth or adoption of a child. Each birth or adoption constitutes one parental leave event, regardless of the number of children born or adopted at the same time.

Payment

For Primary Carers – the 8-week payment will be made across 4 equal fortnightly instalments as part of the usual company payroll after the employee commences parental leave.

For Secondary Carers – the 4-week payment will be made in 2 equal fortnightly instalments as part of the usual company payroll after the employee commences parental leave.

Payment is based on an employee’s ordinary wage (exclusive of penalties, loadings, overtime and allowances). Payment for part time employees will be based on normal part time rates.

Your social security savings will continue to be paid during this Company Paid Parental Leave period.

General

For further information about Paid Parental Leave entitlements please contact the People Team.