Last Updated on 30/03/2026 by Damin Murdock
Pursuant to s 83 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (the Act), if an employee is on unpaid parental leave and an employer intends to make a decision which will have a significant effect on the status, pay or location of the employee’s pre-parental leave position, the employer must take all reasonable steps to give the employee information about, and an opportunity to discuss, the effect of the decision on that position.
Furthermore, pursuant to s 84 of the Act, upon the ending of unpaid parental leave, an employee is entitled to return to the employee’s pre-parental leave position, or, if that position no longer exists, an available position for which the employee is qualified and suited nearest in status and pay to the pre-parental leave position.
It is well established law that an employer should not use a woman’s pregnancy as a convenient reason to decide which employee to make redundant and that the criteria for redundancy should be fair and merit-based, with pregnancy not being one of those criterions.
Tips
- If you are an employer, you should ensure you have performed an adequate merit-based review of all staff prior to making an individual on parental leave redundant.
- If you are an employee who has been made redundant whilst on parental leave, you should ask your employer for a copy of the merit-based review which resulted in your termination of employment.
If you have any questions in relation to this article, please contact Damin Murdock at Leo Lawyers on (02) 8201 0051 or at office@leolawyers.com.au.
DISCLAIMER: This article is not to be taken as legal advice and is general in nature. If you require specific advice, please contact us.
Damin Murdock (J.D | LL.M | BACS - Finance) has over 17 years of experience as a commercial lawyer. He helps businesses navigate construction and technology law. Damin has held several big leadership roles, including serving as a director of a national law firm and the Chief Legal Officer for Lawpath.
He has personally helped more than 2,000 startups and small businesses. With over 300 five-star reviews, his clients clearly value his practical advice and simple way of explaining things. Damin has also hosted over 100 webinars that thousands of people have watched to get reliable legal help.
