Understanding Parental Leave

Parental leave can be one of the most complex areas for both employers and employees to navigate. This session will break down what you need to know and help you avoid common pitfalls.

We’ll cover:

• Different types of leave entitlements for expectant parents
• Employer obligations from pregnancy through to return to work
• How parental leave impacts annual leave
• Common mistakes and how to avoid them
• Useful resources and extra information to support employers and employees

Whether you’re an employer wanting to do the right thing, or an employee planning parental leave, this session will give you the clarity and confidence you need.

Meet the Presenters

Jess McLean, CPO, PaySauce

Jess started her career with hands-on customer service and payroll consulting before moving into people and culture. She now leads the people, product, and customer functions at PaySauce, helping small employers navigate payroll compliance and complexity with ease.

She brings valuable insights from both the payroll provider perspective and the employer side, having previously led a People & Culture team. Jess is passionate about getting payroll right—and making it simple.

Stephanie Pow, CEO/Founder, Crayon

Stephanie founded Crayon with a mission to reduce financial stress in life’s most important moments. Crayon is best known for creating the New Zealand Parental Leave Register, which now houses over 330 verified policies.

Through Crayon, she also provides financial coaching to expecting parents, bringing a unique perspective from working closely with both employers and employees navigating parental leave.