New workplace laws aim to remove extra pain burden on parents arising from stillbirth

Laws have been introduced into federal parliament on October 9, to stop employers from scrapping leave entitlements when families face the tragedy of a stillbirth or death of their baby.

Minister for Employment Amanda Rishworth and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meet with Baby Priya’s parents at Parliament House in Canberra. The Minister for Employment introduced the Fair Work Amendment (Baby Priya’s) Bill 2025 in the House of Representatives on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Source: AAP / AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Key Points

• The bill was introduced because in some circumstances some employers immediately cancelled parental leave after the death of a baby and ask parents to take annual leave instead.
• In other cases, an employee who did not have annual leave could be told to come back to work straight away.
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows six babies are stillborn every day and two die within 28 days of birth in Australia.

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New workplace laws aim to remove extra pain burden on parents arising from stillbirth

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