For employers
Is your parental leave policy any good?
12 weeks
2 weeks
Your score
25/100
Behind the market
- Paid weeks for partners9/35
Lift partner leave to at least 4 weeks to reach the market average.
- Paid weeks for the primary carer11/25
The market average for primary carers is 14 weeks.
- Same leave for every parent0/15
Give partners the same paid weeks as primary carers. It is the fastest way up the table.
- Super on parental leave5/10
Keep paying super during unpaid leave too. Few employers do, so it stands out.
- No long wait to qualify0/10
Drop or shorten the qualifying period. Victoria's public service has none.
- Flexible timing0/5
Let partners take their weeks in blocks any time in the first two years.
A dad at your company gets 6 paid weeks
2 from you, plus 4 weeks of government Parental Leave Pay reserved for him.
WGEA Employer of Choice citation: not yet
- At least 8 paid weeks for the primary carer, or every parent
- At least 3 paid weeks for partners
- Paid at full salary, on top of the government scheme
- Super paid on the paid weeks
- No qualifying period for the minimum weeks
Partner weeks
- Your policy2 wks
- Market average3.7 wks
- Federal public service14 +4 wks
- ACT public service5 +13 wks
- NSW public service14 +2 wks
- VIC public service4 +12 wks
- TAS public service4 +12 wks
- WA public service5 +9 wks
- SA public service0 +4 wks
- QLD public service1 wk
- NT public service1 wk
Primary carer weeks
- Your policy12 wks
- Market average14 wks
- Federal public service18 wks
- ACT public service24 wks
- WA public service18 wks
- TAS public service18 wks
- VIC public service16 wks
- SA public service16 wks
- NSW public service14 wks
- QLD public service14 wks
- NT public service14 wks
Market average: WGEA Employer Census 2024-25, 8,239 private sector employers with 100 or more staff. Lighter bars are extra weeks public services pay on conditions, usually when a partner becomes the main carer.
The market in five numbers
- 67% of large private employers offer employer-funded paid parental leave. A third offer nothing beyond the government scheme.
- The average is 14.0 weeks for primary carers but only 3.7 weeks for secondary carers, who are mostly dads.
- 89% of employers with secondary carer leave cap it at 6 weeks or less.
- Only 18.6% offer the same leave to every parent.
- Men were 20% of employees taking primary carer or universal leave, up 3 points in a year.
Where you can stand out cheaply
Most employers compete on primary carer weeks. The gaps are elsewhere. Partner leave averages under 4 weeks. Only 15% pay super on unpaid parental leave. 87% make staff wait, usually around 12 months. Fixing any one of those moves you up the table faster than adding another week for primary carers.
How the public sector compares
Governments are often the benchmark candidates quote back to you. Paid weeks under each state's main public service agreement:
| Public service | Partner | Primary carer | Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Public Service | 14 +4 | 18 | APS common parental leave clause in the 2024 to 2027 agency enterprise agreements |
| New South Wales | 14 +2 | 14 | NSW Government sector paid parental leave scheme (Premier's Memorandum M2022-08) |
| Western Australia | 5 +9 | 18 | Public Sector CSA Agreement 2024, clause 47 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 5 +13 | 24 | ACT Public Sector Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2023 to 2026, Section E |
| Victoria | 4 +12 | 16 | Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2024, clause 62 |
| Tasmania | 4 +12 | 18 | Tasmanian State Service Award, Part VIII clause 2 |
| Queensland | 1 | 14 | Paid Parental Leave Directive 08/24, effective 30 September 2024 |
| Northern Territory | 1 | 14 | Northern Territory Public Sector 2025 to 2029 Enterprise Agreement, clause 90 |
| South Australia | 0 +4 | 16 | SA Public Sector Enterprise Agreement: Salaried 2026, clauses 12.5 to 12.33 |
“+” weeks are paid on conditions, usually when the partner becomes the main carer. Details on each state page.
Which industries offer it
| Industry | Employers offering paid parental leave |
|---|---|
| Financial and insurance services | 91% |
| Mining | 88% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 88% |
| Education and training | 87% |
| Information media and telecommunications | 86% |
| Electricity, gas, water and waste | 79% |
| Arts and recreation | 75% |
| Rental, hiring and real estate | 69% |
| Health care and social assistance | 67% |
| Other services | 66% |
| Construction | 63% |
| Transport, postal and warehousing | 63% |
| Wholesale trade | 62% |
| Manufacturing | 55% |
| Retail trade | 49% |
| Administrative and support services | 48% |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 47% |
| Accommodation and food services | 35% |
| Public administration and safety | 35% |
How the score works
The score is our method, so you can see exactly where the points come from. Partner weeks carry the most weight (35 points), then primary carer weeks (25), because that is where most policies fall short. Weeks earn half their points at the WGEA market average and full points at 18 weeks, the top band WGEA reports. The rest: the same leave for every parent (15), super on paid and unpaid leave (10), no qualifying period (10) and flexible timing (5).
WGEA data covers private sector employers with 100 or more staff for 2024-25. Verified 26 September 2026.
New data lands around November
WGEA publishes its next census results late in the year. Leave your email and we will send you the updated benchmark when it arrives.
Employer questions
How much paid parental leave do Australian employers offer?
Among large private sector employers that offer it, the average is 14.0 weeks for primary carers and 3.7 weeks for secondary carers (WGEA 2024-25).
What share of employers offer paid parental leave?
67% of private sector employers with 100 or more staff offer employer-funded paid parental leave. 33% offer none.
What is gender-neutral or universal paid parental leave?
Leave available to every parent equally, without primary and secondary carer labels. 18.6% of employers offer it.
What do you need for the WGEA Employer of Choice citation?
At least 8 weeks of employer-funded paid parental leave at full pay on top of the government scheme, with super, and no qualifying period for those weeks. If you use primary and secondary carers, at least 3 weeks for secondary carers.