Australian Maternity Leave Rights

[briggsy's girl]

just want to correct the "every family" comment about the baby bonus - income thresholds were introduced as of July 1 - if the family get an income greater than 7'5k in the first 6 months post baby being born, you get nothing baby bonus wise

eligibility for payment of baby bonus or family tax benefit is based on residential status - you would need to provide details of your visa subclass details to check whether you're entitled to it - but definitely look to apply. if Freyja was born o/s, i would say you've got buckley's chance of getting the baby bonus for her as you weren't Au residents at the time. but definitely call family assistance 136150 during the week to discuss your eligibility to Family Tax Benefit - you'll need at least half hour spare to make the call, and you'll need to provide a heap of information:
- tax file numbers for self and partner
- visa - date of issue and visa subclass code
- date of arrival in Australia (for Freyja as well as self and ptr)
- estimate of incomes for yourself and partner - this will be broken up into taxable income in Au from 010708-300609, taxable income overseas (including your maternity payment) for same dates, partners taxable income overseas for same dates

you'll be sent a form to confirm the details, and will then need to return that to centrelink or medicare along with Freyja's birth certificate, your passports showing arrival in Australia, and your visa's.

HTH's

BG

[amyalexandra]

Yes I work for a company that pays 3 months full paid maternity leave
they request that you leave 6 weeks prior to the baby EDD
but if you wish to work closer you need to provide med certs to state you are fit to do so

I started the job in Feb this year and I wont be entitled to PAID maternity leave unless I work up to the date I started in 08 which was 11th of Feb. I will have about 3 weeks to go before the EDD, (thats if the bub doesnt make a surprise early entrance to the world!) Then I wont get any paid leave.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

My company pays 12 weeks maternity leave (this could go to fathers if they are the primary carer) and 1 week paternity leave after 12 months of employment. They have the same rules for adoption (12 weeks paid leave) Interestingly, we have to sign a stat dec stating that we are the primary carer and that our partner is not going to be receiving paid maternity leave from their employer

[tenar]

If you have been working there for 2 or more years, my company pays:

14 weeks of fully paid maternity leave
38 weeks of leave at 60% pay

So you get a year off, all told. If you take the 38 weeks at 60% pay you have to sign a "return to work" deed and you will have to pay the money back if you don't return to work for an equivalent time (could be part-time work, though) after you have finished the leave. It's a policy that is clearly aimed at getting mums back into the workforce, and I think it's great by Aussie standards.

If you've been working less than 2 years, you get some entitlements pro rata, not sure of the details.

I thought that in Australia we were all entitled to a year of unpaid maternity leave and then to go back into the same job after that. Maybe I'm confused about this? It's better than nothing.

The baby bonus would work out to $100/week or so, wouldn't it? Not a lot of money. Again, better than nothing, and at least it isn't taxed. I guess that the other family payments and tax benefits would add to that, but this varies a lot from family to family.

MummyPig it is common for people on temporary visas (and even some of the ongoing ones) to be denied access to social benefit schemes of whatever kind. It was the same for me when I was living in the UK: I would not qualify for any benefits if I had applied for some, even though I was allowed to live and work in the country. At present, my husband, who has an ongoing visa, is not allowed to access any centrelink payments in Australia, though hopefully when he gets permanent residency this will change.

[Toomanytoomany]

The baby bonus would work out to $100/week or so, wouldn't it? Not a lot of money. Again, better than nothing, and at least it isn't taxed. I guess that the other family payments and tax benefits would add to that, but this varies a lot from family to family.

We'll be getting monthly instalments of the baby bonus, and while it is really the difference between me having to work or not, no, it's nowhere near the equivalent of paid maternity leave. I will get extra family payment, and i'm glad that the baby will be born in April so there'll only be a couple of months until we can put in a new estimate of earnings!

In the meantime, I get six weeks' paid maternity leave from work, the statutory twelve months unpaid entitlement, and I'll have to cash in all my annual leave due as well to make ends meet.

[briggsy's girl]

it's actually fortnightly installments from Jan 1 - and is an amount of approx 385 a fortnight for 13 fortnights

[Counting Days]

australia is so backwards guess that is what happens when we have played buddy buddy with americia for so long

we have a queen in the UK and are close to NZ we should be more in line with them