Gay dads get leave
The federal government’s new ‘Dad and Partner Leave’ scheme has gone into effect across the country. The policy will provide the partner of the ‘primary carer’ with two weeks paid leave at the minimum wage, irrespective of either partner’s gender. The announcement of the scheme in June followed the introduction of 18 weeks paid parental leave for a newborn’s primary carer in January last year.
Carers must have worked at least 330 hours in 10 of the 13 months before the start of the payment period to be eligible, with no more than an eight-week gap between two consecutive working days.
They must also have earned $150,000 or less in the previous financial year, and be on unpaid leave or not working during the payment period.
