New report sheds light on the state of paid parental leave policies in New Zealand
A majority of employers across New Zealand are going above statutory entitlements when it comes to paid parental leave, but the country still lags compared to other developed nations.
This is according to Crayon's State of Parental Leave in New Zealand 2023 report, which analysed paid parental leave data from 226 employers. The report found that nine in 10 employers are offering primary carer leave and paid partner's leave above the statutory entitlements.
In New Zealand, primary carer leave can be taken for up to 26 weeks, which must be taken in one continuous period, according to Employment NZ.
According to the report, the average amount of paid leave offered by the employers is 11 weeks for full pay and 21 weeks for top-ups. For partner's leave, the average amount of paid leave offered is five weeks.
Still, this benefit is behind other developed nations, according to Crayon CEO Stephanie Pow.
"New Zealand sits in the bottom quartile amongst developed countries for paid primary carer leave and is one of three that does not legislate for paid partner's leave," Pow said in the report, adding it’s "skewed towards larger employers.”
Status of parental leave policies
The report also found that support before parental leave is growing in popularity, with a third of employers offering flexible work or additional paid leave to balance the demands of pregnancy or preparing to take permanent responsibility for a child.
Two in three employers are making voluntary KiwiSaver employer contributions to reduce the financial impact on employees' retirement savings. Three-quarters also continue to include employees on parental leave in remuneration reviews, as well as consideration for promotion opportunities.
On returning to work, nine in 10 employees extend flexible work arrangements on temporary basis.
In terms of childcare, one in five employers offer external coaching and refresher training, while one in 10 offer childcare assistance. Nearly all (97%) employers also have facilities and breaks for feeding in the workplace, according to the report.
The findings come after financial wellbeing platform Crayon launched a New Zealand Parental Leave Register this year.