The Regulations Systems Amendment Bill (No 3), which proposed changes to the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987, passed its first reading in Parliament in July 2024 and received royal assent in March 2025. The Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon Brooke van Velden, stated that the proposed changes were designed to improve New Zealand’s current system, provide non-biological parents with more flexibility in caring for their child, and offer support in situations where someone has unexpectedly taken on the care of a child.
Key Changes to Payments
The most notable change is the increase in parental leave payments. The maximum weekly payment for eligible employees and self-employed individuals has risen from $754.87 to $788.66 (gross). This adjustment is part of an annual review process that aligns the maximum rate with the rise in average weekly earnings. For self-employed parents, the minimum weekly payment has also seen an increase from $231.50 to $235.00 (gross), reflecting the recent rise in the minimum wage.
Key Changes to Eligibility
As well as financial increases, the new legislation clarifies and expands eligibility criteria. The core requirements remain the same in that you must be the primary caregiver of a baby or child under six years old and meet specific work requirements, but the updates provide support for more specific situations. For example, parents of premature infants will now receive payments for “preterm baby weeks” without this reducing their standard 26-week leave entitlement.
The new changes also provide clearer guidance on the eligibility for primary carers who are not the birth parent, such as adoptive or whāngai parents, to access parental leave payments. Women who have had miscarriages, still births, or have been surrogates are also now able to access paid parental leave so that people can take time away from work to recover from what the government is recognising as both an emotionally and physically challenging time.
Additionally, certain absences from work, like those for Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) claims or approved unpaid leave, may now count toward meeting the work requirements for eligibility, accommodating a wider range of work circumstances and preventing individuals from being disqualified due to unforeseen events.
What This Means for Employers
For employers, the updates mean a need to review and adjust internal processes, update eligibility checks, and refine related policies to ensure full compliance and a smooth transition for their employees.
The first step in getting support is to talk with a lawyer from Frontline Law about your situation and see what options we can offer you. Contact Frontline Law for a free initial consultation.
*The information in this blog post is general in nature and is not legal advice. If you need advice, you should contact us about your specific situation.
