Work requirements

To get Parental Leave Pay for a child born or adopted before 1 July 2023, you need to meet a work test.

To get Parental Leave Pay you need to have worked for both:

  • 10 of the 13 months before the birth or adoption of your child
  • a minimum of 330 hours, around one day a week, in that 10 month period.

Keep in mind, we count 10 months as 295 days and 13 months as 392 days.

There are many other activities, including paid leave, that count as work.

Periods of JobKeeper Payment and COVID-19 Disaster Payment also count as work.

You can’t have more than a 12 week gap between each workday in that 10 month period.

Some exceptions to the work test apply for pregnancy related illness, complications and premature birth. A Dangerous Jobs provision may also apply.

Read more about exceptions to the work test.

Page last updated: 1 July 2023.
QC 64427