Pregnancy complications: A guide for NZ employers

Approximately 20-25% of pregnancies in New Zealand are classified as high-risk at some point. Common conditions like gestational diabetes affect about 8-10% of pregnant women, while pre-eclampsia impacts roughly 5-8% of pregnancies. Many of these conditions require additional medical appointments, rest, or modified activities that may affect work capabilities.

---

Statutory entitlements

Sometimes pregnancy doesn't go as planned. An employee might need to start their parental leave earlier than anticipated if they experience:

• A high-risk pregnancy

• Pregnancy complications

• Situations where pregnancy prevents them from performing their job safely and alternative duties cannot be arranged

Extended primary carer leave

If an employee needs to start parental leave early due to pregnancy complications, they are still entitled to take at least 20 weeks of primary carer leave after their due date—even if they've already taken more than 26 weeks of leave in total.

Important to note: Any additional weeks of primary carer leave taken in this situation are not included when calculating the amount of extended leave available to the employee.

Financial support options

Financial support options for employees facing pregnancy complications include:

• Early paid parental leave: If an employee needs to start leave earlier, they can choose to bring forward their paid parental leave start date.

• Jobseeker Support: Employees may be eligible for Jobseeker Support from Work and Income NZ if they cannot work due to pregnancy complications. To apply, they need a medical certificate from their midwife or doctor.

Example scenario

Aisha was due to begin her parental leave 4 weeks before her due date on June 15. Due to pregnancy complications, she needs to stop working 10 weeks before her due date.

Leave arrangement:

• Early leave start: April 6 (10 weeks before due date)

• Regular due date: June 15

• Post-due date entitlement: At least 20 weeks after due date

• Total leave: 30+ weeks (10 weeks before due date + at least 20 weeks after)

Financial options:

• Aisha could start her 26 weeks of paid parental leave early on April 6.

• OR she could apply for Jobseeker Support for 6 weeks, then start her 26 weeks of paid parental leave 4 weeks before her due date as originally planned.

Best practices for employers

Supporting employees with pregnancy complications requires thoughtful accommodation:

• Clear documentation: Keep records of medical certificates and agreed arrangements

• Regular check-ins: Maintain appropriate contact during the early leave period

• Return plan flexibility: Be prepared to adjust return-to-work plans if recovery takes longer than expected

• Workload management: Ensure the employee's responsibilities are covered during their absence

• Privacy considerations: Respect the employee's wishes regarding how much information is shared with colleagues

Creating a supportive policy

Consider formalising your approach to pregnancy complications in your parental leave policy, including:

• The process for requesting early leave

• Required documentation

• How pay and benefits will be handled

• Available support resources

• Return-to-work protocols

Need a hand improving your policy or modelling the cost?

Gain our insights from creating the largest NZ database of verified parental leave policies.

👉 Use the Parental Leave Costing Tool

👉 Book a free policy review

---

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 7 April 2025.

---

Stephanie Pow

Founder & CEO of Crayon

---

Related articles