Most private sector employees in Western Australia: 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.
WA also has a state employment system covering some private employers. Check which system covers your workplace before using the national procedures.
- Reserved for the partner, 20
- Reserved for the birth parent, 20
- To share, 90
Where WA does matter: if the WA government employs you
WA public servants covered by the Public Sector CSA Agreement 2024 (Public Service Award and Government Officers Award staff). Teachers, nurses, police and some others have their own agreements.
Partner leave, pay varies
5 weeks
Primary carer, paid
18 weeks
Instrument. Public Sector CSA Agreement 2024, clause 47.
Qualifying period. 12 months continuous public sector service immediately before the leave starts.
The extra weeks. Up to 18 paid weeks may be available if you meet the primary carer conditions, within a shared 27 week pool per birth or adoption. Any paid parental leave used during partner leave reduces your own remaining paid parental leave. This is conditional, not 18 extra weeks for every partner.
The catch. Your 5 weeks of partner leave cannot be refused, but only the part funded from the 27 week parental leave pool is paid, and every paid week you use comes off the family's pool. The rest comes from your own leave or is unpaid.
- Paid parental leave can be taken at half pay over double the time.
- Partner leave can be extended to 8 weeks in total as unpaid leave.
- Superannuation is paid on up to 24 weeks of unpaid parental leave.
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 WA 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 22 October 2026. The government pay rate is reviewed each 1 July; the day allowance depends on the birth or adoption date.