If you are a junior doctor working for a District Health Board (DHB) you are required to rotate between different DHBs as part of your compulsory training. Your length of service with each employing DHB will be added together for the purposes of determining whether you meet the six or 12 month criteria for leave and payments. You will still need to meet the hours of work test.

Your exact entitlements regarding parental leave may vary depending on your employment status. It is important to note that your employment agreement cannot change your eligibility for the government parental leave payments and you can receive additional payments through your employment agreement.

Below are links to excerpts from the Resident Doctors Association Multi Employer Collective Agreement (RDA MECA) 21 January 2015 – 29 February 2016 and the DHB MECA/Senior Medical and Dental Officers Collective Agreement 01 July 2013 – 30 June 2016, which cover an employee’s entitlement to parental leave.

Please note that if you are not party to a MECA agreement and have an Individual Employment Agreement, then you may have different clauses in your contract.