Paid Paternity Leave (Dad and Partner Pay Scheme)

From 1 January 2013

This measure provides eligible working fathers and partners with two weeks Paid Paternity Leave at the national minimum wage.
 
The payment provides financial support to fathers and other partners who normally have to take unpaid leave to be at home with their child.  

Fathers and other partners who are providing full time care or sharing the child’s care, and who meet the work and income tests, will be able to access the payment.

A family may receive the paternity leave payment either on its own or in addition to other family payments such as the Baby Bonus, Paid Parental Leave and Family Tax Benefit. The mother does not have to be accessing the Paid Parental Leave scheme for her partner to be eligible for Paid Paternity Leave.

Refer to the links below for more information

While Paid Parental Leave and Paid Paternity Leave is based on the National Minimum Wage, the legislation for the scheme uses the hourly rate of the National Minimum Wage as a base to calculate daily amounts payable.

The rate of payment for Paid Parental Leave is set down in legislation (Section 65 (2) of the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010) which says:

The daily national minimum wage amount for a day is 7.6 times the amount of the national minimum wage (when expressed as a monetary amount per hour) set by a national minimum wage order that is in operation on that day (whether or not the order has also taken effect on that day).

For example, if the hourly rate is $15.96, the daily rate (based on a 38-hour week or 7.6 hours work per day) is $121.30 (rounded to the nearest cent), and $606.50 per week (rounded to the nearest five cents).

These are used, for example, where the annual 1 July rate change happens mid-way through someone's Parental Leave Pay period, or where the employee's nominated Paid Parental Leave Scheme start date and their usual employer pay date don't line up.

Refer to the link below for more information on the National Minimum Wage.