This section summarises the main findings. We use them in conjunction with our findings from the best practice literature review in our Next Steps report to provide recommendations about the future design of Australia’s paid parental leave scheme.

There are five main recommendations which refer to key elements of the scheme:

1. Total length
2. Flexible design
3. Reserved leave for fathers
4. Concurrent leave
5. Sole father leave

We note that among parents there was confusion and conflation of the notions of ‘reserved leave’ and ‘concurrent leave’. The concurrent leave element of the scheme is not well understood. The understandings of ‘reserved leave’ and ‘concurrent leave’ were further complicated by the flexibility of leave use which, once fully comprehended by parents, is highly desirable, but may impact on their use of reserved and concurrent leave periods.

1. Total length of paid parental leave

This study of Australian parents shows that the health and wellbeing of the mother and baby is prioritised by fathers. Where the length of the paid parental leave is 26 weeks (with periods of reserved leave for the mother and father/partner), all couples thought they would give the majority of the available remaining leave to the mother. This was the case even where fathers were excited by the prospect of long periods of reserved leave and options for flexible use. Ultimately, fathers would not take this time away from mothers. Some mothers in the study were also unwilling to give up some of their paid parental leave.

If the length of paid parental leave was extended, fathers and mothers saw increasing opportunities for fathers to genuinely share the care of young children through longer periods of reserved leave and use of flexible options. However, parents’ understanding of the terms ‘concurrent’ and ‘reserved’ leave were not clear, as discussed below.

Parents were unclear about the design of the changes to reach 26 weeks of leave by 2026 and did not fully understand the roll out of the additional weeks on an annual basis. Clear communication of this is needed. A simple one step extension to 26 weeks in 2024 would be most desirable in terms of clarity for parents and their ability to plan.

All parents, in couples or single, thought that 52 weeks was the optimum time for one parent to be at home with a young child supported by paid parental leave.

2. Flexible design

The new flexible design was of great interest to parents who saw a range of possibilities, particularly around the use of a single day of paid parental leave at a time. In the interviews, parents took time to absorb the possibilities of this flexibility. Middle and high income families also saw the desirability of the more flexible, non-block paid parental leave as a way of managing work and household income with payment at minimum wage level. That is, they could see fathers taking a day or two at a time each week, without disrupting work or household income unduly. The flexible design could therefore support the expanded use of sole father care.

3. Reserved leave for fathers/partners

Reserved leave for fathers/partners has the potential to change social norms and expectations about who cares and who works.

Parents appreciate the capacity of reserved leave periods to send important signals to families and to employers about the role of fathers as carers. Workplaces will need to become better attuned to men as carers to support the successful uptake of reserved leave by fathers. Without this important shift, extended periods of reserved leave for fathers could have adverse effects on families, reducing the total paid time to care. Additional research on employer attitudes and preparedness for increased use of paid parental leave by fathers is essential to support policy aims for shared care.

4. Concurrent paid parental leave

Concurrency of leave adds a further dimension to the parental leave scheme and is not well understood. Instead, parents use the language of ‘being at home at the same time’, and parents have strong aspirations for concurrent leave at the birth of a new baby. Parents would also like to have the option to take concurrent leave later in the parental leave period, when it suits their family and work circumstances.

The difference between concurrent leave and non-concurrent (sole parent) leave is not well understood by parents and must therefore be clearly communicated.

5. Sole care for fathers/partners

While parents were focused on caring together in the very early weeks of a baby’s life, some parents did value the opportunity for fathers to care alone later in the parental leave period.

If the intention of the new paid parental leave design is to shift fathers’ caring behaviours, research evidence shows that sole parenting is essential. However, parents recognise this would take from the total paid parental leave period available to the mother and had some concerns about the impact on total paid leave available to a family where an employer or workplace made it difficult for fathers to take the full portion of reserved leave.

Research with Australian parents demonstrates that the national paid parental leave system is appreciated and the changes in design and length are welcome. There is, however, a clear understanding that a 26-week scheme is unable to adequately meet the five objectives of the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010 or reflect international standards (see Appendices 2 and 3).

Based on the key research findings and recommendations above, and to encourage a shift in fathers’ care and promote gender equality, we recommend the following model of paid parental leave (see Table 1).

The main changes are as follows:

• Move directly to 26 weeks of leave in 2024
• Move to 52 weeks of leave in 2026
• Move to a reserved period of leave for fathers of 4 weeks in 2024 as part of a 26-week scheme, and 12 weeks in 2026, as part of a 52-week scheme
• Introduce a period of sole father care (non-concurrent and non-transferable) leave of 8 weeks, as part of a 52-week scheme.

*All paid parental leave paid at national minimum wage.
*Paid parental leave to be taken within the first 2 years of a child’s life.