The term "parental leave" includes maternity, paternity and adoption leave. This has been included as a core minimum condition of the Australian Pay and Conditions Statndards

It is unpaid leave of up to a maximum of 12 months that a woman and/or her spouse can access between them on the birth or adoption of a child.

It is available after twelve months continuous employment with the current employer. An employee is also entitled to work part time in specified circumstances before or after the child's birth or adoption.

After parental leave the employee has a right to return to the same job or an equivalent one in status and pay. An employee must give notice of taking parental leave, and of your return.

Eligible casual employees are entitled to parental leave. An "eligible casual" is one who has been:

(a) employed by an employer on a regular and systematic basis for several periods of employment or on a regular and systematic basis for an ongoing period of employment during at least 12 months; and

(b) who has but for the pregnancy or the decision to adopt, a reasonable expectation of ongoing employment.

In some industries, mainly in the public sector, paid maternity leave is available. There is currently a push to expand paid maternity leave as Australia is, along with the United States, one of the few countries which does not have this right.

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