Member's Guide to ADF Pay and Conditions in Australia – see Disclaimer – check PACMAN for full details

5.6 Parental leave

Parental leave gives you time off with a newborn or adopted dependent child.

Who gets the leave?

If you become the parent of a dependent child and you do not get paid maternity leave, then you get two weeks of paid parental leave. Two weeks means fourteen consecutive days.

You can also apply to take up to a further 65 weeks of unpaid parental leave. You can do this even if you also get paid maternity leave.

The amount of leave does not go up if you have more than one child at the same time, such as twins.

When can you take it?

You need to take any parental leave that you are granted within 66 weeks of the day the child is born or adopted.

Maternity leave you take will reduce the 66-week period. If your dependants take maternity leave or parental leave, and they are ADF members or Commonwealth employees, this will reduce your total.

Application to Reservists:  Reservists on continuous full-time service can be granted parental leave. A member on Reserve service can be excused from their training for up to 66 weeks so that they can spend time with their child, but they are not entitled to paid parental leave.

Reference:  ADF Pay and Conditions Manual, Chapter 5 Part 5