Communicating with employees on parental leave: A guide to keeping-in-touch hours

Maintaining appropriate communication with employees on parental leave benefits the organisation and the team member. It helps preserve the employee's connection to the workplace, eases their return, and ensures they feel valued during this significant transition.

But how often should you contact someone on parental leave? What’s the best way to reach out? Should you reach out at all? And what are “keeping-in-touch” hours?

We’ve got answers to all of that, as well as tips to help you support your team with confidence.

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Before parental leave begins

Every employee is different. Some will want regular updates, while others may prefer no contact at all until they’re planning their return. The most important thing is to ask, not assume.

Before your team member begins their leave, have a thoughtful conversation to establish:

• Contact preferences: Confirm their preferred contact details and communication methods (email, phone, text, video calls)

• Communication frequency: Determine if they want regular scheduled check-ins, occasional updates, or minimal contact

• Information interests: Clarify what updates they'd like to receive:

  • Company news and announcements

  • Team changes or restructuring

  • Professional development opportunities

  • Social events and celebrations

  • Projects they’ve been directly involved in

• Keeping-in-touch intentions: Discuss whether they plan to use KIT hours and how they might like to structure them

Best practice: Document these preferences in writing via email or as part of a formal handover plan. If regular communication is desired, schedule reminders in your calendar with tentative check-in dates.

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Understanding Keeping-in-Touch (KIT) hours

KIT hours serve as a valuable bridge between parental leave and their return to work, helping employees maintain their connection to the workplace and easing their transition.

KIT guidelines in New Zealand

Employees can use up to 64 paid KIT hours during their 26-week government-paid parental leave period provided:

• They don’t exceed the 64-hour limit

• They don’t work within 28 days of their baby’s birth

• Both the employee and their manager agree to the arrangement

KIT hours can be used to work whole or part days, a few hours at a time or all in a consecutive period. Employees must be paid their normal working wage for the time worked.

Important: Exceeding the 64-hour limit or working KIT hours within the first 28 days has significant consequences. The IRD will consider the employee to have returned to work, ending their government-paid parental leave and potentially requiring repayment of parental leave payments.

Tracking KIT hours

Create a simple tracking system to monitor KIT hours usage. This could be a shared document you and your team member can access to log hours worked and calculate the remaining balance.

Recommended KIT activities

KIT hours should focus on activities that support a smooth transition back to work. Work with your team member to identify which activities would be most beneficial for their specific role and circumstances:

• Refreshing key skills or systems

• Meeting new team members

• Attending team or project meetings

• Being part of decisions that impact their role

• Training or onboarding for upcoming changes

After paid parental leave ends

KIT hours only apply while employees receive government-paid parental leave. Once that period ends, any work done during unpaid parental leave would be considered casual work, with no restrictions on hours.

Equipment

With your organisation’s permission, employees can keep their employer-issued laptop, phone and access card while on parental leave to facilitate KIT hours. If employees cannot keep their work devices or system access, discuss alternative arrangements for KIT hours.

Tax considerations

If an employee receives more than one source of income at the same time, such as government-paid parental leave and payment for KIT hours, they may need to use a secondary tax rate to avoid a tax bill later. 

For more guidance, check out the IRD page Other income while on paid parental leave.

Final tips for managers

Even with the best-laid plans, things can shift once a baby arrives. An employee’s preferences around communication may change, and that’s completely normal.

The most important things you can offer are flexibility, respect, and open communication. Sometimes, support means checking in. Other times, it may mean giving space.

By handling communication with care, you show your organisation is committed to supporting people through life’s biggest transitions.

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Now for the important legal part: The information we provide is general and not regulated financial advice for the purposes of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. Please seek independent legal, financial, tax or other advice in considering whether the content in this article is appropriate for your goals, situation or needs. The information in this article is current as at 27 March 2025.

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Stephanie Pow

Founder & CEO of Crayon

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