The Government will look at introducing flexibility for paid parental leave next year. Photo / Natalie Slade
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says a bill for flexible paid parental leave, allowing both parents to take it at the same time, could be passed next year.
The Government is currently passing a bill under urgency to extend paid parental leave for the primary caregiver to 22 weeks from July
next year and to 26 weeks from July 2018.
The National Party put up an amendment to make that time flexible, meaning parents could take some of that time concurrently - but the Government did not support it, saying its bill focused on the primary caregiver.
This morning on Newshub's AM Show, Ardern said she liked the idea of flexibility and it had a "really good chance" of Government support, but she wanted it to go through the public scrutiny of a select committee process.
She said it could be added to a bill next year that would make sweeping changes to employment law.
