What obligations do we have to an on-hired employee who becomes pregnant?

Q: We have an employee who has been contracting with us for over 12 months. She is not employed by us, but is being paid through a recruitment company. She is now pregnant. What responsibilities do we have regarding parental leave?

A: The primary responsibilities relating to parental leave belong with the employee’s direct employer.

Host organisations have obligations under anti-discrimination laws and the general protections provisions under the Fair Work Act. These obligations mainly prevent you from imposing detriments on an employee for taking parental leave or otherwise victimising the employee. Generally, these obligations do not limit a host employer to any great extent.

Please note: The answer is correct at the time of publishing. Be aware that laws may change over time. Refer to Parental leave for current advice.

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