Parental Leave in the Public Sector – 2024
Monique Esplin's report unveils public sector parental leave policies and practices:
Best practices in agency policies
Voices from the workforce
Actionable recommendations
Key findings
How the public sector supports new parents
Ex-gratia payments are common, but confusing.
Most public sector agencies offer a 6-week ex-gratia payment, but there's a clear opportunity for better awareness among employees and flexible payout options.
Access to equipment and systems during leave makes a difference.
Agencies that allow parents to keep laptops, phones, and swipe access during leave help reduce isolation and support smoother return-to-work transitions.
Flexibility is growing, but not always guaranteed
Many agencies now support flexible return-to-work plans, including part-time transitions and hybrid work—but this is not standardised.
What you can do next
Start building a better leave experience for your people and your organisation
Benchmark your policy
Use The New Zealand Parental Leave Register to see what your peers offer.
Estimate your costs
Try our Parental Leave Costing Tool to model different benefit options.
Talk to us
Book a free policy review to identify quick wins and long-term improvements.
Not sure where to start?
We’ve got you. Explore our free resources to help you design a right-sized parental leave policy and support your people through every step of the journey.