Working During Pregnancy

There are some common worries about working in early pregnancy. Here’s a round-up of your questions:

When should I tell?

You may not want to tell too early in case of miscarriage, or because you could lose out on work opportunities. But you may need to tell earlier than you had planned if you’re suffering from severe morning sickness, or tiredness. No employer has the right to discriminate against you becasue you are pregnant. 

Is it safe to use a computer? 

Many women have heard the rumour that working in front of a computer all day could harm their baby. Research doesn’t show that being in front of a screen can cause miscarriage or harm to your baby. You should take regular breaks from your computer anyway; take a walk about, don’t sit for too long in the same position. 

Is it safe to stand for long periods? 

While it depends on individual circumstances, standing or indeed sitting in one place is likely to become more uncomfortable as your pregnancy progresses. Any job that can be done sitting, should be done sitting. 

Environmental Toxins 

Toxins such as lead, mercury, organic solvents, second hand smoke and ionising radiation can lead to complications in pregnancy. 

Heavy Lifting

There is limited data on how much weight is safe for pregnant women to lift. The amount of weight you can lift will depend on what you usually do and the stage of your pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones make your ligaments loose and your centre of gravity will change as your belly grows. If you feel that work is putting your health or that of your unborn baby at risk, ask your LMC to write a letter to your employer. 

Paid Parental Leave

Paid Parental Leave (PPL) is one continuous period up to 26 weeks available for primary carers.

Definition of a primary carer

For the purposes of PPL, New Zealand law defines a primary carer as:

  • The birth parent,
  • The spouse or partner of the birth parent, and the birth parent has transferred some or all of their entitlement to government-funded parental leave payments to them, or
  • Someone taking permanent primary responsibility for a child under the age of six. If you have a spouse or partner, you must nominate one of you as the primary carer.

Work requirements

Parental leave payments are available to employees and self-employed people who have worked any 26 weeks out of the 52 weeks before the baby is born, for at least 10 hours per week. People with more than one employer or who have recently changed jobs are also entitled to paid parental leave if they have worked at least 26 weeks in the last 52. 

Note: The eligibility criteria to take parental leave (i.e., time off from work) are different to the eligibility criteria to receive parental leave payments from the government.  

If you are a primary carer, your entitlement to parental leave depends on how long you have been continuously employed by the same employer before your child’s expected due date or placement date:

  • 52 weeks or more service: Entitled to 52 weeks of parental leave.
  • 26 weeks or more service: Entitled to 26 weeks of parental leave.
  • Less than 26 weeks' service: Apply for negotiated carer’s leave.

Payment rate

Your paid parental leave payment is the higher of your ‘ordinary weekly pay’ and ‘average weekly income’.

The maximum paid parental leave payment (before tax) is:

  • 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026: $788.66 a week
  • 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025: $754.87 a week

Applying for paid parental leave

You apply for PPL via the IRD. Before you apply for PPL, you will need a letter from your LMC/GP to prove your pregnancy. 

Keeping in touch hours

If you need to stay connected with your workplace while on paid parental leave, then you can use Keeping in Touch hours. This is 64 hours that allow you (if your employer agrees) to perform work from time to time, for example to attend a team day, without losing your entitlement to paid parental leave payments. 

This work is paid on top of your PPL and must not exceed the 64-hour limit over the paid parental leave period, and must not happen within the first 28 days after your child is born.     

Preterm payments

If your baby is born more than 3 weeks early, you may qualify for premature baby payments. You will get these from the day your baby is born through to the end of what would have been your 36th week of pregnancy. Preterm payments are paid at the same rate as your paid parental leave. 

You can also get the premature baby payments if you have primary care of the baby during this time, but are not the birth mother. Your regular paid parental leave payments will start after this. 

Partner’s leave

There is no statutory entitlement to paid partners' leave in New Zealand.  

If you are a partner, you may be entitled to unpaid leave, depending on how long you have been continuously employed by the same employer before your child’s expected due date or placement date:

  • 52 weeks or more service: Entitled to 2 weeks of unpaid partner’s leave and the option to share up to 52 weeks of the primary carer’s extended parental leave, including primary carer leave.
  • 26 weeks or more service: Entitled to 1 week of unpaid partner’s leave and the option to share up to 26 weeks of the primary carer’s extended parental leave, including primary carer leave.
  • Less than 26 weeks' service: No statutory entitlements. You will need to use another type of paid leave, such as annual leave or sick leave, or apply for special unpaid leave.

More information