Paid Parental Leave scheme Work Test 007-05020030

To be eligible for PPL in normal circumstances the PPL claimant must meet the work test. If a birth mother or an adoptive parent claims, they only need to meet the work test (or satisfy an exception).

If any other claimant type claims PPL in normal circumstances, for example, biological father or partner of birth mother, they need to meet the work test in addition to the birth mother. A birth mother who meets the work test requirements will be payable even if the father or partner does not.

In cases of adoption, the partner of an adoptive parent is not payable unless an adoptive parent meets the work test requirements. If there are 2 adoptive parents, there will be no requirement for them both to meet the work test requirements.

To meet the work test a customer must have:

• performed at least 330 hours of qualifying work for a period spanning 295 consecutive days (approximately 10 months) within the 392 day work test period (approximately 13 months), and:
• had no more than a break of 84 consecutive days (12 weeks) between 2 qualifying work days in the 295 day (approximately 10 months) qualifying period

Customers can have a gap of more than 12 weeks between workdays during the 392 day (about 13 months) work test period. They just cannot have more than a 12 week gap during their 295 day (about 10 months) qualifying period.

Customers may still be eligible for PPL if they have stopped or intend to stop working. The PPL work test is based on the customer's employment information in the 392 day period before the birth/entry into care of their child.

Note: a special claimant in exceptional circumstances is exempt from the work test.

To be eligible for PPL in normal circumstances, primary and secondary claimants need to meet a work test.

To meet the work test a customer must have:

• performed at least 330 hours of qualifying work for a period spanning 295 consecutive days (approximately 10 months) within the 392 day work test period (approximately 13 months), and:
• had no more than a break of 84 consecutive days (12 weeks) between 2 qualifying work days in the 295 day (approximately 10 months) qualifying period

Note: customers can have a gap of more than 12 weeks between workdays during the 392 day (about 13 months) work test period. They just cannot have this gap during their 295 day (about 10 months) qualifying period.

Customers may still be eligible for PPL if they have stopped or intend to stop working. The PPL work test is based on the customer's employment information in the 392 day period before the birth/entry into care of their child.

If exceptional circumstances for PPL apply, secondary claimants may be exempt from the work test. PPL tertiary claimants are also exempt from the work test.

Note: JobKeeper Payment and COVID-19 Disaster Payments (paid by Services Australia on or after 3 June 2021) count towards the work test. Other COVID-19 payments, such as those paid by state or territory governments and Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, do not count as qualifying work for the work test.

A customer is considered to have worked on a day when at least one hour of qualifying work has been performed on that day. Work performed (whether or not the work was performed in Australia) as an employee, contractor, self-employment, or any form of gainful activity for reward or financial gain is considered as qualifying work. A customer can count work performed during the work test period for multiple employers, such as a second or previous job.

Paid leave, such as recreational leave and sick leave, counts towards a claimant's qualifying work. A person is also taken to be on paid leave if they are on unpaid leave from their employer while receiving workers compensation, accident compensation or a similar payment.

Previous PPL and/or DAP periods in the 13 months before the birth or adoption of a second and subsequent child will count as 'qualifying work' towards the Paid Parental Leave scheme work test. If a customer includes a previous period of PPL and/or DAP in the work test, a weekday will count as 7.6 hours.

The Resources page has examples of the work test period and qualifying period.

Premature birth

• For a child's birth mother, an exception to the work test may be applied if they are required to:
• stop employment early, or
• reduce their hours of employment because their child was delivered prematurely
• If a biological father or partner of the birth mother, was expected to meet the work test based on the child's expected date of birth but did not meet the work test due to the child's premature birth:
• they are determined to have met the work test if relevant evidence has been provided, and
• it is clear they would have met the work test had the child not been born prematurely

Pregnancy related complications or illness

A child's birth mother may meet the work test if they:

• they have experienced pregnancy related complications or illness that prevented them from working, and
• would have met the work test had the pregnancy related complications or illness not occurred, and
• suitable evidence has been provided

If the customer is no longer employed, for example, business has stopped trading or their work contract has stopped, they may still be deemed to meet the work test.

A Service Officer must be satisfied that the medical condition prevented the customer from seeking new employment or extending their contract. To support this, evidence of a consistent work history showing a strong connection to the workforce must be provided.

Special Circumstances

Customers who do not meet the work test may qualify for an exception if they:

• experienced special circumstances within their work test period, and
• this affected their ability to perform paid work

An exception to the work test may be applied if:

• special circumstances existed, and
• the customer would have met the work test if the special circumstances did not exist

The special circumstance exception reasons include:

• severe medical condition or caring for a close family member who is affected by a severe medical condition
• natural disaster declared by the Commonwealth, a State or Territory, and
• family and domestic violence

For more details about customers experiencing vulnerability, see Identifying customer vulnerability and risk issues.

Severe medical condition

A customer may meet the work test if:

• they were prevented from working during their work test period because they were:
• affected by a severe medical condition, or
• caring for a close family member who was affected by a severe medical condition
• suitable evidence has been provided

A close family member is the customer's:

• partner
• child (natural, adopted or step-child)
• sibling (natural, adopted or step-sibling)
• parent (natural, adopted or step-parent)
• partner's parent (natural, adopted or step-parent)
• a person the customer has legal guardianship over

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, 'family member' includes cultural kinship relationships.

Natural disaster

A customer may meet the work test if:

• they were prevented from working during their work test period because they were severely affected by a natural disaster
• the natural disaster has been declared by the Commonwealth, a State or Territory (see the Resources page)
• suitable evidence has been provided

Note: COVID-19 is not considered a natural disaster for the work test as it has not been declared a natural disaster by the Commonwealth, a State or Territory. A more targeted approach was implemented to support customers affected by COVID-19. These include:

• the extended work test measure (for children born or adopted between 22 March 2020 and 31 March 2021), and
• counting JobKeeper Payment and the COVID-19 Disaster Payment as qualifying work

Family and domestic violence

A customer may meet the work test if:

• they were prevented from working during their work test period because they:
• experienced family and domestic violence, or
• were dealing with the impacts of family and domestic violence
• the circumstances have been assessed by a social worker
• suitable evidence has been provided
• the social worker may help the customer with evidence for their circumstances, but the customer must still provide evidence of their employment

A Dangerous Job provision applies to pregnant customers/birth mothers who stop work due to a hazard in their workplace that was or is a risk to their pregnancy.

There are a few recognised professions where it can be confirmed that a particular job is dangerous to a pregnant person. Currently these include:

• boxers
• jockeys, and
• mining contractors

While the intent for this provision was aimed at these particular industries, the provision does not explicitly preclude other professions. Depending on the claimant's individual work circumstances, there may be a condition of the customer's work that constitutes a hazard connected to the work performed.

Customers will still need to meet the work test but can use the day they stopped work as the last day of their work test period.

Note: a customer may be assessed under the Dangerous Job provision if they:

• stop work due to the risk that coronavirus (COVID-19) has on their pregnancy, or
• are unable to be vaccinated against COVID-19 due to a risk to the pregnancy