Glossary

Negotiated Carer Leave

This allows an employee who does not qualify for primary carer leave to take time off work to be the primary carer for a child and still receive parental leave payments.

This type of leave is available to workers who, although they meet the work time and hours criteria to get parental leave payments, do not meet the separate criteria to take primary carer leave.

Employees should notify their employer of their intention to take this leave at least three months before the baby’s due date, or 14 days before they become the primary carer of a child under the age of six. The employer must respond to this request as soon as possible and within one month of the request being made.

Notice Period Not Worked

A period of time where an employee does not work during the notice period before leaving their employment. Whether or not an employee has to work during the notice period depends on the terms of their employment agreement.

If an employee does not work all of their notice period, an employer may be able to withhold some of their final pay. For example, if an employee gives four weeks’ notice but only works for two weeks, the employer could withhold two weeks’ worth of their final pay.