The State of Parental Leave in New Zealand – 2024

For the first time, data is available to employers across New Zealand on how organisations are supporting new parents:

• Benefits available before, during and after parental leave

• Trends in the terms and conditions employers apply

• Plus: emerging practices, gaps, and opportunities

Key findings

What happened in 2024

Enhanced parental leave now spans diverse industries and company sizes.

The New Zealand Parental Leave Register showcases policies from 28 industries, with participating organisations ranging from 4 to 4,000+ employees.

Employer-paid parental leave ranges from 1 to 26 weeks.

The average number of paid weeks offered:

• Partners: 4 weeks

  Primary carers: 21-week top-up or 11 weeks of paid leave

One in four employers offer primary and secondary carers the same paid leave benefits.

These equal paid parental leave policies average 9 paid weeks.

The next frontier

2024 showed policies and practices look beyond paid leave.

Organisations are actively including employees on parental leave.

From encouraging keeping-in-touch hours to ensuring participation in remuneration reviews, employers are demonstrating that parental leave doesn't have to mean "out of sight, out of mind."

Some employers offer parental leave benefits from day one.

While many organisations still require qualifying periods and impose bonding terms, progressive employers are eliminating waiting periods.

60% of employers pay annual leave at full value upon employees’ return to work.

Organisations have adopted this practice ahead of anticipated legislation, ensuring new parents can take annual leave without financial penalty.

Reviewing your policy?

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