Clause 24

Subject to this section, every female employee shall be entitled to absent herself from work —

during the period of 4 weeks immediately before and the period of 4 weeks immediately after her confinement; or

during a period of 8 weeks, as agreed to by her and the employer, commencing not earlier than 28 days immediately preceding the day of her confinement or later than that day,and for such period (referred to in this Part as the benefit period) she shall be entitled to receive payment from her employer at her ordinary rate of pay.(2) A female employee who has served an employer for less than 180 days immediately preceding the day of confinement shall not be entitled to any pay during the benefit period.(3) Where a female employee has worked in her employment for any day during the benefit period before her confinement, she shall be entitled to receive in addition to her ordinary rate of pay for that day an amount that is equivalent to a day’s pay or to absent herself from work on another day at the end of the benefit period.(4) Notwithstanding subsection (1) or any collective agreement or award to the contrary, a female employee shall not be entitled to any payment during the benefit period for any confinement if at the time of the confinement she has two or more children.(5) Subsection (4) shall not apply to such class or classes of employees as the Minister may, from time to time by notification in the Gazette, specify.”.