Parent hub
Take the guesswork (and stress) out of parental leave
Start your parental leave journey here
Get a handle on how parental leave works in New Zealand with these resources
Know your entitlements
Explore our deep dives on what your entitlements and the fine print that matters.
Tips from real parents
Read our report, Parental Leave: A Kiwi Perspective, for free resources on how to navigate your experience
FAQs
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If you’re an employee
We outline the statutory entitlements in: Your parental leave rights in New Zealand: A guide for employees.
If your employer offers additional parental leave benefits, they will have their own eligibility criteria, which may be different from the government's criteria.
If you’re self-employed
You can be eligible for government-paid parental leave. Employment New Zealand outlines your rights here.
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There are two separate processes you need to complete:
Applying for leave from your employer, and
Applying for parental leave payments from the IRD.
For more information: Applying for parental leave: A guide for NZ employers and parents.
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Pregnant employees are entitled to 10 days of unpaid special leave during their pregnancy. This leave can be used for pregnancy-related reasons, such as attending antenatal classes, scans or medical appointments.
If you’re a partner or you’re welcoming a child via adoption, surrogacy, matua whāngai or permanent guardianship, you’ll need to use an existing form of leave, such as annual leave.
Note: Some employers allow employees to work flexibly around their appointments.
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At the time of writing (November 2025), the most an eligible primary carer can receive in paid parental leave is 26 weeks at $788.66 per week before tax, KiwiSaver, and other deductions.
The maximum rate is adjusted annually, effective from 1 July, to account for any increase in average weekly earnings.
For more information: Understanding your government-paid parental leave entitlements.
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No. The New Zealand government offers no paid partner leave. Employers may offer additional provisions.
A primary carer can transfer all or some of their parental leave payments to their partner.A partner can be eligible for up to two weeks of unpaid partner’s leave.
For more information: Your parental leave rights in New Zealand: A guide for employees.
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You can contact us via chat, and we can point you in the right direction.
If you have questions about government-paid parental leave, you will need to contact IRD.
If you have questions about how parental leave works, speak with Employment New Zealand.
If you have questions about your employer’s policy, you should speak to your manager or the HR team.
Annual leave after parental leave
Taking parental leave can reduce the value your annual leave — a curveball many parents don’t see coming. By understanding how it works, you can make informed decisions and plan ahead.
FAQs
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You can request to use your annual leave and other paid leave (e.g., time off in lieu) before starting parental leave, even if this means the start date of your paid parental leave period is after your child’s arrival.
Employers must consider such requests in good faith, but are not obligated to grant them.
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Yes, parental leave is considered continuous employment, so you continue to accrue annual leave while on parental leave.
There is no cap on the number of annual leave days you can accrue.
The rate at which it is paid is affected by parental leave. See: Paycheck surprise: The impact of parental leave on annual leave in New Zealand.
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Yes, parental leave is considered continuous employment so you continue to accrue sick leave while on parental leave.
Under the Holidays Act 2003, an employer can cap the maximum amount of sick leave at 20 days. An employer can allow employees to accumulate more than 20 days of sick leave through their employment agreement or workplace policies.
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No. If you are on parental leave and a public holiday falls within that period, an employer doesn’t need to pay for the public holiday because you would not have normally worked on that day.
Public holidays also have no impact on government-paid parental leave.
See: Navigating public holiday pay after parental leave in New Zealand
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It’s common for parents, particularly mothers, to return to work part-time after parental leave to balance career and family responsibilities.
When your work hours change, your leave balance in hours is recalculated to ensure that you still receive the same number of weeks off.
For more information: How annual leave works when an employee returns part-time after parental leave.
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If you decide not to return after parental leave, your last day of work for the purposes of calculating your annual leave payout is considered the day before you started parental leave. You wouldn't be entitled to be paid for any annual leave accrued while on parental leave.
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If you return to work before resigning, your final pay calculations includes the annual leave you accrued on parental leave.
However, the rate this is paid depends on when you became entitled to leave and how much leave you have accrued.
For more information: How to calculate annual leave for final pay when an employee resigns after parental leave.
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The New Zealand Parental Leave Register
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