Most private sector employees in Queensland: national rules
Most private sector employees use the national unpaid parental leave rules. Services Australia runs the separate government payment scheme. Your employer's policy can provide additional paid leave.
- Unpaid leave. Up to 12 months, extendable to 24 with your employer's agreement, after 12 months continuous service. Up to 130 days of it can be taken one day at a time.
- Parental Leave Pay. $200.94 a day before tax in 2026-27. 130 days for the family for babies born on or after 1 July 2026, 20 reserved for the partner.
- Notice. Tell your employer in writing at least 10 weeks before your leave starts.
- Reserved for the partner, 20
- Reserved for the birth parent, 20
- To share, 90
Where QLD does matter: if the QLD government employs you
Queensland public service employees, plus Queensland Health, Hospital and Health Services, Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Fire and Emergency Service and a short list of other entities. Not short term casuals.
Partner, paid
1 week
Primary carer, paid
14 weeks
Instrument. Paid Parental Leave Directive 08/24, effective 30 September 2024.
Qualifying period. At least 12 months continuous service in one or more Queensland public sector entities. Long-term casuals are included.
The catch. Long parental leave provides 14 paid weeks and short parental leave provides 1 week. Clause 8.9 separately allows eligible spouses to use unused long paid leave while primarily caring for the child before the first birthday; its conditions differ from the initial short/long choice.
- Both can be taken at half pay over double the time: 14 weeks becomes 28, 1 week becomes 2.
- Part-time and long-term casual employees get it pro rata.
This is paid by your employer and sits on top of Parental Leave Pay. You can usually take both, the paid weeks from the department and the government days, back to back or overlapping, within the rules of each.
What people in QLD get wrong
- Treating government Parental Leave Pay, unpaid leave from work and an employer's paid policy as a single entitlement.
- Assuming the birth parent can take all 130 paid days. 20 are reserved for the partner and are lost if unused.
- Missing the 10 week written notice, then finding the employer can push back on the dates.
Read more about unpaid parental leave and government pay rates.
Public sector detail source checked 11 September 2026. The government pay rate is reviewed each 1 July; the day allowance depends on the birth or adoption date.