Top-up vs Full Pay Comparison Tool

Is a top-up or full-pay primary carer benefit better for your business and your people?

Use our free calculator to compare the cost and value of each approach, so you can get one of your biggest parental leave decisions right.

---

Who is this tool for?

HR professionals

Evaluate and design parental leave policies that attract and retain talent.

Finance teams

Assess the financial impact of different parental leave strategies to inform budgeting decisions.

Executives

Align parental leave offerings with overarching business objectives and company culture.

---

How does it work?

Compare costs to employers

Calculate top-up versus full-pay options for different durations and percentages.

Compare value to employees

Understand total earnings (from employer and government) for each scenario.

Instant results

Get clear calculations in minutes to support informed decision-making.

FAQs

• What do you mean by a top-up policy?

  The employer pays the difference between an employee’s salary and government-paid parental leave (PPL)

• What do you mean by a full-pay policy?

  The employer pays the employee’s full salary in addition to any government-paid parental leave.

• Where can I learn more about the pros and cons of each approach?

  We’ve written a blog post explaining how the top-up vs. full-pay approach affects the investment required and the level of flexibility you can offer your people.

• Who do I contact if I have questions about how the tool works?

  If you have any questions about how the tool works, feel free to reach out to our team at hello@gocrayon.com. We’re happy to help!

---

Helpful resources

• Blog post: Should you top up or offer full pay to primary carers?

• Calculator: Parental Leave Policy Costing Tool