Leave preceding parental absence
Prior to the commencement of a period of parental absence, an employee may be entitled to other leave.
Prenatal leave
An employee who is pregnant may access paid prenatal leave to a maximum of 38 hours, to attend routine medical appointments associated with that pregnancy. Access to prenatal leave requires the provision of the following:
- a medical certificate certifying the employee is pregnant
- a medical certificate for each appointment
- scheduling of appointments at times that minimises disruption to the school and/or the requirement to engage replacement staff for the period of the absence.
An employee whose spouse is pregnant may access paid prenatal leave to a maximum of 15.2 hours for the period of the pregnancy to enable attendance at routine medical appointments associated with that pregnancy, provided that the employee:
- provides a medical certificate certifying their spouse is pregnant,
- provides a medical certificate for each appointment, and
- schedules appointments at times that minimise disruption to the school and, or the requirement to engage replacement staff for the period of the absence.
Pre-adoption leave
The provisions of the National Employment Standards specify that an employee is entitled to up to 2 days of unpaid pre-adoption leave to attend any interviews or examinations required for the adoption of a child. This leave may be taken as:
- a single continuous period of up to 2 days, or
- any separate periods which are agreed between the employee and the principal
Applications for leave must include satisfactory evidence regarding the necessity to attend any interviews and, or examinations.
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