Reproductive health leave in Australia: Where do we stand in 2025?

Reproductive health leave is a growing area of workplace policy in Australia. It provides employees with time off to manage a range of reproductive health issues—such as menstruation, menopause, fertility treatment, miscarriage, and preventative screening for reproductive cancers. While national legislation does not currently mandate reproductive health leave, a number of state governments and private employers have taken proactive steps to support employees.

Public sector initiatives

Queensland was the first state to implement a formal reproductive health leave policy. From September 2024, eligible public sector workers receive up to 10 days of paid reproductive health leave annually. This leave supports individuals—regardless of gender—who are undergoing fertility treatment, recovering from miscarriage, or managing chronic reproductive health conditions like endometriosis, PCOS or prostate-related issues (Queensland Government, 2024).

Victoria offers up to five days of paid reproductive health and wellbeing leave per year under its most recent public service agreement. This reproductive leave can be used for menstruation, menopause, IVF, and other reproductive treatments, provided personal leave entitlements are below 15 days (Community and Public Sector Union, 2024).

New South Wales allows up to five days of paid special fertility treatment leave, intended to support employees undergoing assisted reproductive procedures including IVF, IUI, and ICSI. Medical certification may be required to access this entitlement (NSW Government, 2022).

Western Australia introduced five days of paid reproductive health leave in its 2024 CSA agreement. It is available to eligible permanent and fixed-term employees for managing menstruation, menopause, IVF, cancer screening, and recovery from surgery like hysterectomy or vasectomy (Government of Western Australia, 2024).

Other jurisdictions, including Tasmania, ACT, and the Northern Territory, have not yet legislated specific reproductive health leave policies, though advocacy is increasing.

The following infographic provides an overview of the current entitlements, specifying the type of leave, eligibility criteria, and relevant details for each jurisdiction:

Note: The information above pertains to public sector employees. Private sector entitlements may vary and are subject to individual employer policies.

National outlook

While there is growing awareness, Australia has no national standard for reproductive health leave. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is lobbying for the inclusion of 10 days of universal paid reproductive health leave in the National Employment Standards (ACTU, 2023). Until then, reproductive leave coverage depends heavily on employer discretion and state policy.

Implementing reproductive health leave can enhance employee well-being, reduce absenteeism, and foster a more inclusive workplace culture. Employers are encouraged to consider such policies to support their workforce effectively, especially as awareness around reproductive workplace entitlements continues to rise.

References

ACTU. (2023). Workers campaigning for 10 days universal paid reproductive health leave. https://www.actu.org.au/media-release/workers-campaigning-for-10-days-universal-paid-reproductive-health-leave Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU). (2024).

Victorian public service enterprise agreement 2024: Reproductive health leave. https://www.cpsuvic.org/article/view.php?id=798 Government of Western Australia. (2024). Public Sector CSA Agreement 2024 [PDF]. https://www.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/Corp/Documents/Health-for/Industrial-relations/Awards-and-agreements/Public-service/Public-Sector-CSA-Agreement-2024.pdf

NSW Government. (2022). Paid leave in the event of miscarriage, pre-term birth or when undergoing fertility treatment (M2022-09). https://arp.nsw.gov.au/m2022-09-paid-leave-in-the-event-of-a-miscarriage-pre-term-birth-or-when-undergoing-fertility-treatment/

Queensland Government. (2024). Reproductive health leave FAQs. https://www.forgov.qld.gov.au/news/reproductive-health-leave

Department of Premier and Cabinet, Tasmania. (2024). Parental and personal leave information. https://www.dpac.tas.gov.au

Equal Opportunity Commission SA. (2021). Pregnancy and work. https://equalopportunity.sa.gov.au/rights/employment/pregnancy

Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment NT. (2024). Leave entitlements and options. https://ocpe.nt.gov.au/employment-terms-and-conditions/leave-entitlements-and-options

Australian Unions. (2024). Factsheet: Reproductive leave. https://www.australianunions.org.au/factsheet/reproductive-leave