Author(s): Erin McCarthy; Elise Jenkin; Andrew Stewart

Legal

This practical guide covers parental leave entitlements and procedures under the Fair Work Act 2009 and Paid Parental Leave Act 2010. The relationship between these two pieces of federal legislation and the rights and obligations they create are complex. Increasingly as employees take up the governmental paid scheme, employers and HR managers will have to deal with challenging issues such as employees maintaining contact with the workplace while on leave and rights to return to work. This is in addition to the 'paymaster' function which became the responsibility of employers as of 1 July 2011. PARENTAL LEAVE: A USER-FRIENDLY GUIDE by Erin McCarthy, Elise Jenkin and Andrew Stewart of Piper Alderman follows the course of a parental leave application. Using a clear layout, bullet points and case studies, it brings together the issues that come up under different pieces of legislation to help IR/HR practitioners and union/ employer advisors meet the needs of clients and employees. Academics will also appreciate the analysis of parental leave and its development in the context of the Australian workplace relations system.