Returning to teaching after parental leave: part-time rights, pay and paperwork

Your right to come back

Parental leave protects your job. WA's award defines the job you return to as your position or a 'comparable position', meaning one with an equivalent classification level, pay, conditions and status that suits your skills (cl 39(1)(b)). The other states have similar protections in their agreements, and the Fair Work Act's return-to-work guarantee covers teachers in non-government schools.

Timeline: what to do and when

Coming back part-time

South Australia's 2024 agreement gives the clearest right. You can return to work part-time after paid or unpaid parental leave until your child's second birthday, at the level of your regular appointment, with the days and hours agreed with the department (cl 4.7.1). If you hold a tenured leadership position you can work part-time at that level until your tenure ends or your child turns two, whichever is first (cl 4.7.2). Before the second birthday you tell the department whether you'll go back to full-time or ask to stay part-time. The agreement also preserves the right under the Teachers Award to request part-time work until your child reaches school age (cl 4.7.4).

In other states part-time return is by agreement. Most principals accommodate it, especially with a term's notice, but you may not get the exact days you want. If you are in a non-government school, the Fair Work Act lets you make a formal written request for flexible work as a parent of a young child and the employer can refuse only on reasonable business grounds.

Your pay step after leave

You come back on the step you left, plus any general pay rises that applied while you were away. NSW teachers returning in late 2026, for example, come back on the 3% higher rates that started on 9 October 2026. Whether unpaid leave counts towards your next step varies. In WA, unpaid parental leave of more than two weeks doesn't count for calculating entitlements such as long service leave, though it doesn't break your service (cl 38(4)). Ask HR when your next increment is due so it doesn't get missed.

Registration, accreditation and checks

• Keep paying registration while on leave. NESA charges $100 a calendar year in NSW. Victoria's VIT annual fee for 2026-27 is $131.30 if paid by 30 September ($173.10 late). Tasmania's TRB fee is $121.32 for 2026-27, and the ACT's TQI fee is $115 in 2026.
• Professional development hours. NSW Proficient teachers need 100 hours over 5 years full-time, or 7 years if part-time or casual. Leave doesn't pause the clock, so plan PD into your return year.
• ACT reimbursement. The ACT agreement reimburses TQI and WWVP registration costs for teachers returning from long-term leave (cl N1.3).
• Working with Children Check. Check the expiry date. In Victoria, VIT-registered teachers are exempt from a separate WWCC.

Sharing the care: your partner's leave

If your partner is also a teacher, or works in the public sector, their leave can change your return date. NSW's public sector scheme gives non-birth parents the same 14 weeks, plus 2 bonus weeks when leave is shared more equally. Victoria gives 20 days of paid secondary caregiver leave. The NT gives 1 week of paid partner leave after 12 months' service and 2 weeks after 5 years. WA gives up to 1 week of paid partner leave, and a parent who shares the care can take up to 8 weeks of unpaid leave at the same time as the other parent (cl 39(5)(d)). SA's partner leave of up to 5 days comes from sick leave credits.

Another baby: going straight onto leave again

You don't always need to go back to work between children. WA's award says an employee who takes parental leave is not required to resume work before taking parental leave for a later pregnancy, birth or adoption (cl 39(6)(d)). The 12-month service test for paid leave counts your continuous service, so check with HR whether you'll qualify for paid leave a second time and how unpaid weeks affect it. Government PPL has its own work test, which a second claim may not meet if you haven't worked recently.

Super and the career gap

Each year of unpaid leave and each year at 0.6 FTE reduces your super. For births from 1 July 2025 the ATO pays 12% super on government Parental Leave Pay, which helps a little. Couples can use spouse contributions or contribution splitting to even things out. See teacher super explained.