AP836954 - Medibank Private Limited Award 2004
The provisions of this clause apply to full-time, part-time and eligible casual employees, but do not apply to other casual employees.
Subject to the terms of this clause employees are entitled to maternity, paternity and adoption leave and to work part-time in connection with the birth or adoption of a child.
28.1.1 Subject to 28.1.2, in this clause, spouse includes a de facto or former spouse.
28.1.2 In relation to 28.5, spouse includes a de facto spouse but does not include a former spouse.
28.1.3 An eligible casual employee means a casual employee employed by an employer on a regular and systematic basis for several periods of employment or on a regular and systematic basis for an ongoing period of employment during a period of at least 12 months, and that the employee has, but for the pregnancy or the decision to adopt, a reasonable expectation of ongoing employment.
28.1.4 For the purposes of this clause continuous service is work for an employer on a regular and systematic basis (including any period of authorised leave or absence).
28.2.1 Subject to 28.3.1 and 28.3.2, after 12 months continuous service, parents are entitled to a combined total of 52 weeks unpaid parental leave on a shared basis in relation to the birth or adoption of their child. For females, maternity leave may be taken and for males, paternity leave may be taken. Adoption leave may be taken in the case of adoption.
28.2.2 Subject to 28.3.4, parental leave is to be available to only one parent at a time, in a single unbroken period, except that both parents may simultaneously take:
28.2.2(a) for maternity and paternity leave, an unbroken period of up to one week at the time of the birth of the child;
28.2.2(b) for adoption leave, an unbroken period of up to three weeks at the time of placement of the child.
28.3.1 An employee may be entitled to Maternity Leave in accordance with the Maternity Leave (Australian Government Employees) Act 1973. To avoid doubt, nothing in this clause, is intended to affect that entitlement or the operation of that Act. Where that Act applies and is inconsistent with a provision of this clause the Act shall prevail.
28.3.2 Where an employee is not entitled to leave under the Maternity Leave (Australian Government Employees) Act 1973, an employee with twelve months continuous service is entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave, 12 with pay and the remainder without pay, with respect to the birth of a child.
28.3.3 Notice period for maternity leave
28.3.3(a) An employee must provide notice to the employer in advance of the expected date of commencement of parent leave. The notice requirements are:
28.3.3(a)(i) of the expected date of confinement (included in a certificate from a registered medical practitioner stating that the employee is pregnant) - at least 10 weeks.
28.3.3(a)(ii) of the date on which the employee proposed to commence maternity leave and the period of leave to be taken - at least four weeks.
28.3.3(b) When the employee gives notice under 28.3.3(a)(i) the employee must also provide a statutory declaration stating particulars of any period of paternity leave sought or taken by her spouse and that for the period of maternity leave she will not engage in any conduct inconsistent with her contract of employment.
28.3.3(c) An employee will not be in breach of this clause if failure to give the stipulated notice is occasioned by confinement occurring earlier than the presumed date.
28.3.3(d) Subject to 28.3.2 and unless agreed otherwise between the employer and employee, an employee may commence parental leave at any time within six weeks immediately prior to the expected date of birth.
28.3.4 Special maternity leave
28.3.4(a) Where the pregnancy of an employee not then on maternity leave terminates after 28 weeks other than by the birth of a living child, then the employee may take unpaid special maternity leave of such periods as a registered medical practitioner certifies as necessary.
28.3.4(b) Where an employee is suffering from an illness not related to the direct consequences of the confinement, an employee may take any paid sick leave to which she is entitled in lieu of, or in addition to, special maternity leave.
28.3.4(c) Where an employee not then on maternity leave suffers illness related to her pregnancy, she may take any paid sick leave to which she is then entitled and such further unpaid special maternity leave as a registered medical practitioner certifies as necessary before her return to work. The aggregate of paid sick leave, special maternity leave and parental leave, including parental leave taken by a spouse, may not exceed 52 weeks.
After 12 months continuous service an employee is entitled to leave without pay for up to 52 weeks after the birth of a child of a spouse.
28.4.1 An employee will provide to the employer at least ten weeks prior to each proposed period of paternity leave, with:
28.4.1(a) a certificate from a registered medical practitioner which names his spouse, states that she is pregnant and the expected date of confinement, or states the date on which the birth took place; and
28.4.1(b) written notification of the dates on which he proposed to start and finish the period of paternity leave; and
28.4.1(c) a statutory declaration stating:
28.4.1(c)(i) he will take that period of paternity leave to become the primary care-giver of a child.
28.4.1(c)(ii) particulars of any period of maternity leave sought or taken by his spouse; and
28.4.1(c)(iii) that for the period of paternity leave he will not engage in any conduct inconsistent with this contract of employment.
28.4.2 The employee will not be in breach of 28.4.1(b) if the failure to give the required period of notice is because of the birth occurring earlier than expected, the death of the mother of the child, or other compelling circumstances.
An employee who has adopted a child is entitled to leave without pay for up to 52 weeks after the employee has taken custody of the child.
28.5.1 Before commencing adoption leave, an employee will provide the employer with a statutory declaration stating:
28.5.1(a) the employee is seeking adoption leave to become the primary care giver of the child;
28.5.1(b) particulars of any period of adoption leave sought or taken by the employees spouse; and
28.5.1(c) that for the period of adoption leave the employee will not engage in any conduct inconsistent with their contract of employment.
28.5.2 An employer may require an employee to provide confirmation from the appropriate government authority of the placement.
28.5.3 Where the placement of child for adoption with an employee does not proceed or continue, the employee will notify the employer immediately and the employer will nominate a time not exceeding four weeks form receipt of notification for the employees return to work.
28.5.4 An employee will not be in breach of this clause as a consequence of failure to give the stipulated periods of notice if such failure results from a requirement of an adoption agency to accept earlier or later placement of a child, the death of a spouse, or other compelling circumstances.
28.5.5 An employee seeking to adopt a child is entitled to unpaid leave for the purpose of attending any compulsory interviews or examinations as are necessary as part of the adoption procedure. The employee and the employer should agree on the length of the unpaid leave. Where agreement cannot be reached, the employee is entitled to take up to two days unpaid leave. Where paid leave is available to the employee, the employer may require the employee to take such leave instead.
28.6 Variation of period of parental leave
28.6.1 Unless agreed otherwise between the employer and employee, an employee may apply to their employer to change the period of parental leave on one occasion. Any such change is to be notified at least four weeks prior to the commencement of the changed arrangements.
28.6.2 During a period of parental leave an employee may return to work at any time, as agreed between the employer and the employee provided that the time does not exceed four weeks from the recommencement date desired by the employee.
28.7 Parental leave and other entitlements
An employee may in lieu of or in conjunction with parental leave, access any recreation leave or long service leave entitlements which they have accrued subject to the total amount of leave not exceeding 52 weeks.
28.8.1 Where an employee is pregnant and, in the opinion of a registered medical practitioner, illness or risks arising out of the pregnancy or hazards connected with the work assigned to the employee make it inadvisable for the employee to continue at her present work, the employee will, if the employer deems it practicable, be transferred to a safe job at the rate and on the conditions attaching to that job until the commencement of maternity leave.
28.8.2 If the transfer to a safe job is not practicable, the employee may elect, or the employer may require the employee to commence parental leave for such period as is certified necessary by a registered medical practitioner.
28.9 Returning to work after a period of parental leave
28.9.1 An employee will notify of their intention to return to work after a period of parental leave at least four weeks prior to the expiration of the leave.
28.9.2 An employee will be entitled to the position which they held immediately before proceeding on parental leave. In the case of an employee transferred to a safe job pursuant to 28.8, the employee will be entitled to return to the position they held immediately before such transfer.
28.9.3 Where such position no longer exists but there are other positions available which the employee is qualified for and is capable of performing, the employee will be entitled to a position as nearly comparable in status and pay to that of their former position.
28.9.4 An employer must not fail to re-engage an eligible casual employee because:
28.9.4(a) the employee or the employee’s spouse is pregnant; or
28.9.4(b) the employee is or has been immediately absent on parental leave.
28.9.5 The rights of an employer in relation to engagement and re-engagement of casual employees are not affected, other than in accordance with this clause.
28.10.1 A replacement employee is an employee specifically engaged or temporarily promoted or transferred, as a result of an employee proceeding on parental leave.
28.10.2 Before an employer engages a replacement employee the employer must inform that person of the temporary nature of the employment and of the rights of the employee who is being replaced.
[28.11 inserted by PR970673 ppc 24Mar06; corrected by PR976316 ppc 24Mar06]
28.11.1 An employee entitled to parental leave pursuant to the provisions of clause 28.2 may request the employer to allow the employee:
28.11.1(a) to extend the period of simultaneous unpaid parental leave provided for in clause 28.2.2(a) up to a maximum of eight weeks;
28.11.1(b) to extend the period of unpaid parental leave provided for in clause 28.2.1 by a further continuous period of leave not exceeding 12 months;
28.11.1(c) to return from a period of parental leave on a part-time basis until the child reaches school age to assist the employee in reconciling work and parental responsibilities.
[28.12 inserted by PR970673 ppc 24Mar06; corrected by PR976316 ppc 24Mar06]
28.12.2 The employer shall consider the request having regard to the employee’s circumstances and, provided the request is genuinely based on the employee’s parental responsibilities, may only refuse the request on reasonable grounds related to the effect on the workplace or the employer’s business. Such grounds might include cost, lack of adequate replacement staff, loss of efficiency and the impact on customer service.
