From 1 July 2026, Australia’s Paid Parental Leave scheme increases to 26 weeks of government funded leave. That is a significant step forward and one that deserves recognition. It reflects years of reform and a growing understanding that care is not a private issue sitting outside the economy. It is central to workforce participation, gender equality and the long term wellbeing of families and children.
The expansion also matters because it gives families more time at home in the earliest months after a child arrives. Eligible families can access 130 days of Parental Leave Pay for children born or adopted from 1 July 2026, paid at the national minimum wage, with superannuation contributions applying for children born or adopted from 1 July 2025. The scheme can be shared between parents and includes reserved days intended to support more equal caregiving.
At Parents At Work, we welcome that progress. But we should be clear that 26 weeks is not the finish line. It is the starting point for the next phase of reform.
Time off matters, but so does what happens next
Paid parental leave is essential, but families need more than leave alone. The real test is whether parents can stay connected to work, return well, share care more equally and maintain financial security over the long term. That depends not only on the leave entitlement itself, but on what happens before leave, during leave and well after a parent comes back to work.
This is where the national conversation needs to broaden. Parental leave policy cannot sit in isolation from childcare, flexible work, job security and the culture of workplaces themselves. If those systems do not work together, many families will still find that the practical and financial burden of care falls mainly to women.
That matters because unpaid care in Australia remains deeply unequal. Recent ABS data shows women in couple families with children under 15 continue to do more unpaid work and care than men, and childcare remains a major barrier to workforce participation for women who want to work or increase their hours.
The payment rate still limits real choice
A longer leave scheme is welcome, but the payment rate matters just as much as the number of weeks. Government funded Paid Parental Leave is paid at the national minimum wage, regardless of a parent’s previous earnings. For many households, that makes it difficult for both parents to take substantial time away from paid work or to genuinely share care in the way policy intends.
This is one reason employer funded paid parental leave remains so important. Employers that top up pay, offer equal leave to all parents and remove outdated assumptions about who the “primary” carer is are doing more than improving a policy. They are helping make shared care financially and culturally possible. WGEA’s guidance is clear that gender equitable parental leave works best when it is designed to support equal access and active uptake by all parents.
If Australia wants better outcomes on gender equality, it cannot stop at counting weeks alone. Over time, Paid Parental Leave should move closer to a more liveable replacement wage, so families are not forced into care arrangements based purely on short term financial pressure.
Workplace culture still shapes who takes leave
Policy settings matter, but culture is what determines whether people feel safe using them. Many fathers, partners and non birthing parents still worry that taking extended leave could affect how they are seen at work, even in organisations with formal entitlements. That means a policy can look strong on paper while still falling short in practice.
As Emma Walsh shared in The Herald Sun this week, it’s our culture that continues to shape who feels able to take leave:
“While gender-neutral paid leave is growing, Australia’s culture still views caregiving as primarily a women’s role.”
WGEA’s latest figures show men account for only 17% of primary carer leave taken, despite growing access to employer-funded paid parental leave. Too often, dads and partners still face stigma or worry about career impact when they take leave, even when the entitlement exists on paper.
This is why employer action remains critical. The most effective organisations are not only reviewing leave policies. They are also preparing employees before leave, equipping managers to support transitions well, maintaining appropriate connection during leave, enabling gradual and flexible returns, and making sure career progression does not stall when someone becomes a parent.
We are also seeing more employers move away from “primary” and “secondary” carer labels and towards gender neutral policies that better reflect modern families. That shift matters because language influences behaviour. Policies that assume mothers will be the default carers can unintentionally reinforce the very inequalities they are meant to address.
At Parents at Work, we’re proud to work with organisations that are taking practical steps toward more equitable parental leave and stronger support for working families. These dad-friendly workplaces include: Deloitte, QBE, Medibank, ING, KPMG, CBA, Rio Tinto, The Smith’s Snackfood Company, Mars Australia, Lion, Baker McKenzie, Novartis, Accenture, HESTA, HCF, Origin Energy, Genea, Marsh, Blackmores and Bluescope Steel.
Together, they’re helping make shared care more visible, more normal and more achievable in Australian workplaces. They’re also sending a clear signal that parental leave is not a perk or a cost, but part of how workplaces retain talent and support people through one of life’s biggest transitions.
Care does not stop at six months
Another important point is that the pressure on parents does not end when paid leave ends. Families are then navigating childcare availability, affordability, flexible work arrangements, sleep deprivation, career continuity and, for many, the emotional strain of managing all of this at once. For some parents, especially those in insecure work or with limited support networks, the return to work phase can be harder than the leave period itself.
This is also not experienced equally. Families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, migrant families, casual workers and temporary visa holders often face additional barriers, including reduced access to government support, less secure work and fewer culturally responsive services. A stronger care system must recognise those differences rather than assume all families are navigating the same starting point.
For employers, that means looking beyond compliance and considering the full employee experience. It means asking whether people can access flexibility without penalty, whether line managers know how to support different family structures, and whether return to work support is practical, inclusive and responsive to real life.
What should happen next
The move to 26 weeks should be seen as progress, but also as a prompt for greater ambition. Australia now has an opportunity to keep building toward a more modern care system that supports families and strengthens the economy at the same time.
That next phase should include:
- A clear pathway toward 52 weeks of Paid Parental Leave over time, so families have greater certainty and Australia moves closer to global best practice.
- Better paid leave, so more families can afford to use the entitlement in the way it was intended.
- More affordable and accessible early childhood education and care, so parents are not forced out of the workforce when leave ends.
- Stronger employer investment in equal, gender neutral and flexible parental leave, supported by workplace cultures that normalise care for all parents.
- More inclusive policy settings that reflect modern careers, insecure work and the experiences of culturally diverse families.
At Parents At Work, we believe paid parental leave should be understood as more than a family payment. It is workforce policy, gender equality policy and economic policy. Done well, it supports wellbeing, helps retain skilled workers, improves women’s long term economic security and makes shared care more realistic for families.
The move to 26 weeks is worth welcoming, but if Australia wants to create lasting change, the next chapter has to be bigger than leave alone. Families need more than time off, they need a care system and workplace culture designed around the realities of modern life.
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