[wwwdot]

I have been reading the Dept of Labour websites to learn more about NZ parental leave but would like to hear about your experiences as there seems to be lots of people with babies born in NZ.

Specifically, as far as I understand the statutory maternity pay is $391.28 per week (before tax):eek: Do you know if some employers pay a higher rate?

Has anyone transferred the paid maternity leave to partner, or is this only possible when adopting? (my pay is 4x higher so Kiwi would be happy to become a house-husband)

I really, really wish Kiwi could speak (better) Finnish so we could go have babies over there as both parents get paid a very high proportion of income. So maybe in NZ my only chance is to not have any leave:wah

-Finn

[wwwdot]

Oops, I just noticed the following on the Inland Revenue website: "Paid parental leave payments equal your normal pay (before tax) if you're an employee" for 14 weeks.

This would be great!:nice1 Is it 100% of pay? Or is it only up to the dreaded dollar figure of 391something :eek:

Would anyone know how long you have to be employed prior to leave? How about the residency status?

[nippa&pippa]

Have look in there as covered some of your questions
http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13969&highlight=parent+leave

[WellyBrit]

Have look in there as covered some of your questions
http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13969&highlight=parent+leave

Just an update to the information in the pasted thread -

The maximum weekly amount payable for each of the 14 weeks of paid leave is set to increase from $391.28 to $407.36 from 1 July 2008.

At current rates, that's an extra (smallish) block of cheese a week or, more likely, the cost of the extra trip to the late night store when you realise you've run out of nappies/milk/wipes (as we did all the time :roll).

It is definitely worth both you and your husband finding out whether either of your employers has a policy in place which provides paid parental leave at enhanced rates.

Best of luck.

[Tia Maria]

My OH wasn't entitled to paternity or parental leave or pay, as he hadn't been at the company 6 months (I think it was about 5 months).

They did, however, let him take a combination of paid holiday, unpaid holiday and sick leave (I'd had a C-section so he could take sick leave on the grounds of caring for me and our children).

Cheers

Tia

[Shoel]

My wife just got her form with entitlements from IRD (she would be on leave in aug 08)
the entitlement is still $391
so much for the extra $16...

[Shoel]

Update:
my wife got a letter from IRD, stating that she will get the new rate of 407 :)