Parental leave
Resolving problems about parental leave
What if I have a dispute with my employer about parental leave?
Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987, ss 70A & 70B
If you and your employer can’t agree on a parental leave issue, a government labour inspector can:
- decide whether you qualify for parental leave, or
- decide your ordinary or average weekly income, and
- enforce parental leave payments.
The labour inspector can also give your employer a “demand notice”, if the inspector is satisfied that you’re entitled to parental leave and that your employer isn’t prepared to acknowledge this. The employer must comply with this notice; if they don’t, you can enforce it by going to the Employment Relations Authority.
Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act, s 70G
The labour inspector can also do all of those things for self-employed people.
Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987, ss 55–70
Complaints by employees relating to parental leave are dealt with by the Employment Relations Authority in a way similar to personal grievances (see the chapter “Resolving employment problems”).
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