Pregnant pause is now longer

SERVICE women will now receive an extra two weeks maternity leave (MATL) following a decision by Defence to boost the entitlement from 12 to 14 weeks.

The leave extension will provide a direct financial benefit to ADF women, according to Leut-Cmdr Steve House, of the Directorate of Service Conditions.

“The extra two-week entitlement will reduce the need for unpaid maternity leave, such as recreational or long service leave, during the [maximum] maternity leave period of 52 weeks,” he said.

“This initiative is part of the ongoing work to achieve better work/life balance and family-friendly conditions of service for ADF members. It brings the ADF into line with Defence APS [Australian Public Service] and places Defence at the forefront of maternity leave entitlements within the public sector.”

From February 1, paid MATL can be taken at full or half pay or a combination of both, allowing up to 28 weeks at half pay.
The normal entitlement of a maximum of 52 weeks for MATL (starting from the first day of paid MATL) is unaffected by the two-week extension.

Leut-Cmdr House said traditional provisions would allow all or part of this extended entitlement to be available to members, who on February 1, were within the 52-week period since the start of MATL.

“Anyone within that 52-week window became entitled of up to an additional two weeks of paid maternity leave whether they returned to work or are still on some form of paid or unpaid leave,” he said.

“However, paid maternity leave can only be taken in the 52-week window. So if you have less than two weeks to go before the end of the window, you can only take the residue amount.”

The changes do not affect parental or carers leave, HPSEA (home purchase/sales expenses assistance) entitlements or the administrative arrangements for applying for MATL.

For more information on the new entitlement, including the transitional provisions, visit the ADF Pay and Conditions web site at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/pac/. The What’s New page includes information on the new leave policy.