Testing the Water
Maternity Leave
Dear All,
I was just wondering if anyone had taken maternity leave in New Zealand. We are hoping to come out to NZ on the Skilled Migrant Scheme early next year and are eager to start a family. We were just wondering if anyone new how it works, what you are entitled to and what the implications would be of us being immigrants.
Many thanks.
Senior Member
There's some info about this on this forum's parent site, here: http://www.enz.org/family-assistance-new-zealand.html
It says the following about maternity leave:
I don't know how it works in practice, but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along to help you soon!4. Paid Parental Leave
Paid parental Leave is available when working mothers take parental leave from their job(s) to care for their newborn. For most people, paid parental leave is worth more than parental tax credit. You cannot receive paid parental leave payments and parental tax credit for the same child. If you meet the criteria for both payments you'll need to decide which payment you'd like to receive. The maximum Parental Leave payment is $372 per week for up to 14 weeks.
Member
This website is also quite good, you can actually calculate how much leave you are entitled to.
http://www.ers.dol.govt.nz/parentalleave/
Member
There are 2 payments a person on maternity leave can qualify for but you can only get one or the other.
The first is the Parental Tax Credit which is $150 per week for up to 8 weeks, this payment is not taxable and you do not have to have a job but you must be a permanent resident to qualify.
The second is Paid Parental Leave which pays up to 100% of your normal pay up to a maximum of around $390 per week, this payment is taxable but you do not need to be a permanent resident to qualify, the only requirement is that you must have been with the same employer for at least 6 months at the time you take leave.
IRD makes the payments for both.
Member
The situation is quite different dependingo nwhether you are working prior to the baby arriving or not, and how long you have worked for (6 or 12 months being the cut offs).
I'm working full-time, and have been with the employer for over 12 months. I get 14 weeks maternity leave and a further 36 weeks extended leave up to a total of 52 weeks. 14 weeks of this is paid parental leave at $391 per week before tax (!). The rest is unpaid. Some employers may offer better packages than this, mine just does the minimum. No implications of me being an immigrant.
Senior Member
Father get no pay leave if mother don't work btw. Father get only a week leave if been work for under 12months, or 2 weeks if been work over 12months without any pay
To overcome the problem with no pay for a week, my OH did 1 hr overtime every day soon he find out about maternity pay till a day before our son who born 5 weeks ago, so he can have a week off with pay as holiday leave rather than maternity leave with no pay, hope that help anyone in same situation that they can't afford having no pay.
At 36 degrees South
That is awful here too then .....if only one of you is working, you need paid leave more than ever! In UK OH had to use up annual leave after babies born, as no way we could managed with only £106 per week, when I wasn't entitled to any pay either.Originally Posted by nippa&pippa
Father get no pay leave if mother don't work btw. Father get only a week leave if been work for under 12months, or 2 weeks if been work over 12months without any pay
To overcome the problem with no pay for a week, my OH did 1 hr overtime every day soon he find out about maternity pay till a day before our son who born 5 weeks ago, so he can have a week off with pay as holiday leave rather than maternity leave with no pay, hope that help anyone in same situation that they can't afford having no pay.
Senior Member
Does anyone know....do you have to have been in your current nz employment for 12 months before you are off for maternity leave ( including the time you are pregnant?)....or 12 months full employment ( without pregnancy)...does this make sense?!?
Senior Member
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