Federal budget 2022: policy change could discourage men from taking parental leave, experts say

Policy that allows parents to choose how they split 20 weeks of leave criticised as a step backwards'

• Explore all of our 2022 Australia federal budget coverage
• Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing

Changes designed to make paid parental leave more flexible have been labelled a step backwards for gender equality" by experts as they create a disincentive for fathers to share caring responsibilities.

Tuesday's budget revealed that the existing 18 weeks of paid primary carer leave and two weeks of dad and partner pay" will be combined into an entitlement to 20 weeks of paid leave that can be divided between parents as they choose.