Australia's parental leave gap puts workplace gender equality under spotlight

Australian businesses face challenges in closing the workplace gender gap as mothers continue to take significantly more parental leave than fathers. 

Mothers take a median of 22 weeks of leave, compared with just four weeks for fathers, according to Deel's Parental Leave Report 2026.

The report analysed payroll data from 7,282 parents across 97 countries, highlighting how parental leave structures influence caregiving responsibilities and workplace outcomes.

Australia offers 20 days of parental leave reserved for partners and 110 shared days, paid at the minimum wage. 

However, mothers take 5.5 times more leave than fathers, placing Australia fifth among 12 economies analysed for its mum-to-dad leave ratio.

Additionally, 98% of Australian mothers take their leave in a single block, compared with 69% of fathers.

The report found that 30% of mothers leave their employers within six months of parental leave ending, compared with 23% of fathers across the countries analysed.

It also found that mothers take 16.4 weeks less leave than fathers even after accounting for pay, seniority, age, occupation and entitlements.

For Australian businesses, the findings highlight the need to reassess parental leave policies and workplace support, particularly as unequal caregiving responsibilities can influence women's career progression and earnings.