Keeping in touch days let you work up to 10 days during the first 12 months of unpaid parental leave, and 10 more if you extend past 12 months. You and your employer must both agree, none can fall in the 14 days after the birth, and none can be taken on flexible leave days.
This guide dates every window from one birth date, counts how part days drain the 10, and shows what happens when a keeping in touch day lands on a day you planned to claim government Parental Leave Pay. The example parent is Odette, a permanent full-time employee with 4 years' service and a partner. Her unpaid parental leave starts on Monday 4 January 2027 and her baby is born on Tuesday 12 January 2027. For the job you go back to at the end, see returning to work after maternity or parental leave.
Key takeaways
- 10 days in the first 12-month period of unpaid parental leave, even if that period is shorter, and 10 more if the leave is extended beyond 12 months.
- Both of you must agree to each day and when it is worked. You do not have to use them.
- None in the first 14 days after the birth or placement. Up to day 42, a day can happen only at your request.
- A part day uses a full day of your 10.
- You are paid your normal wage for the time worked, and leave accrues for that time.
- Working 1 hour or more on a Parental Leave Pay day counts as working that day, so the PLP day has to move.
- The length of your leave does not change. Keeping in touch days do not extend or shorten it.
What keeping in touch days are
A keeping in touch day is a day of work for your employer during unpaid parental leave that helps you move back into work at the end of it. The Fair Work Ombudsman lists the kind of work it has in mind: refreshing skills, a planning day, training or a conference. The entitlement sits in sections 79A and 79B of the Fair Work Act 2009, inside the unpaid parental leave rules of the National Employment Standards, so it belongs to employees who qualify for that leave (generally 12 months of continuous service).
| Rule | What it means for you | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement | You and your employer both consent to the day and to when it is worked | s 79A(2)(b) |
| Earliest day | Not within 14 days after the birth or placement if you asked for it; not within 42 days otherwise | s 79A(2)(c) |
| How many | 10 in the first 12-month period; 10 more in an extension past 12 months | s 79A(2)(d) |
| Part days | How long you work does not matter: any work on the day uses a whole day | s 79A; FWO |
| Flexible leave | Not available on flexible unpaid parental leave days | FWO |
| Pay and accrual | Normal wage for the time worked; leave accrues for that time | FWO |
| Effect on your leave | Does not extend the period of unpaid parental leave | s 79B |
Saying no is allowed. The Fair Work Ombudsman states that an employee "doesn't have to use keeping in touch days if they don't want to." An employer cannot put a keeping in touch day on the roster without your consent.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Keeping in touch days (content last updated 2 September 2026, read 11 October 2026): "A keeping in touch day is when an employee performs work that will help with their transition back to work at the end of their unpaid parental leave." The work "may include: refreshing skills; participating in a planning day; doing training, or; attending a conference." "Employees and employers have to agree to the keeping in touch days and when they will be worked." "An employee doesn't have to use keeping in touch days if they don't want to."
Fair Work Act 2009 s 79A and s 79B (AustLII, read 11 October 2026). Fair Work Ombudsman, Parental leave and related entitlements (content last updated 11 May 2026): "All employees in Australia are eligible for unpaid parental leave if they have completed at least 12 months of continuous service with their employer."
How many keeping in touch days you get
You get 10 keeping in touch days in the first 12-month period of unpaid parental leave. The Fair Work Ombudsman's fact sheet says the 10 apply "even if that period is less than 12 months", so a parent who books 6 months has the same 10 as a parent who books a full year. An extension that takes the leave past 12 months brings 10 more, so the most anyone can have is 20. The two periods are counted separately under s 79A.
| Leave plan | Keeping in touch days | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Odette: 12 months continuous, Mon 4 Jan 2027 to Mon 3 Jan 2028 | 10 | The first 12-month period |
| 6 months continuous | 10 | "even if that period is less than 12 months" |
| 9 months, then a 3-month extension | 10 in total | The extension still ends inside the first 12 months |
| 12 months, then an extension past 12 months | 10, then 10 more | "an additional 10 days" for the extension |
| Flexible days only, no continuous leave | None on any flexible day | Not available on flexible unpaid parental leave |
The third row is the Fair Work Ombudsman's own example: Dwayne takes 9 months and extends by 3, and gets no extra days because he is still within his first 12 months. Aisha, whose extension runs beyond 12 months, gets 10 more. Some online summaries call the entitlement "10 days a year". It is tied to your leave, not to a calendar or financial year.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Parental leave and related entitlements (content last updated 11 May 2026, read 6 October 2026): "10 keeping in touch days during the first 12 month period ... even if that period is less than 12 months", and "an additional 10 days" if the leave is extended. Fair Work Ombudsman, Keeping in touch days (2 September 2026, read 11 October 2026): Dwayne and Aisha examples. Fair Work Act 2009 s 79A(2)(d): the 10-day limit, with the initial and extended periods treated as separate periods.
When you can take them: the 14 and 42 day rules
Two clocks start on the day of the birth or placement. For the first 14 days no keeping in touch day is possible at all. From day 15 one can happen, but only if you asked for it. After 42 days your employer can also suggest or request one, though you still have to agree.
| Days after the birth or placement | Keeping in touch days |
|---|---|
| Days 1 to 14 | None |
| Days 15 to 42 | Only at your request |
| Day 43 onwards | You or your employer can raise one; both must agree |
How we count: the birth date is day 0, so "within the first 14 days" covers days 1 to 14, and day 43 is the first day after 42 days. If a single day matters to you, confirm the count with your employer.
Odette starts 12 months of continuous unpaid parental leave on Monday 4 January 2027, with no flexible days. Her baby is born on Tuesday 12 January 2027.
| Milestone | Rule | Odette's date |
|---|---|---|
| Baby born | Day 0 | Tue 12 Jan 2027 |
| No keeping in touch days | First 14 days | Wed 13 Jan to Tue 26 Jan 2027 |
| First day she can ask for one | Day 15 | Wed 27 Jan 2027 |
| First day her employer can suggest one | Day 43 | Wed 24 Feb 2027 |
| Last day of her first period (and her first 10) | 12 months from the start, less 1 day | Mon 3 Jan 2028 |
From 27 January to 23 February 2027, any keeping in touch day has to start with Odette asking. From 24 February 2027 to 3 January 2028, either of them can raise one.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Keeping in touch days (2 September 2026): "Employees can't access keeping in touch days within the first 14 days (2 weeks) of the child's birth or date of placement." and "After 42 days (6 weeks) ... the employer can suggest or request a keeping in touch day". Fair Work Act 2009 s 79A(2)(c): 14 days if the employee requested the day, otherwise 42 days. Read 6 and 11 October 2026. Dates are our calculations.
Part days use a whole day
If you work only part of a keeping in touch day, a full day still comes off your 10. A 1-hour meeting costs the same as a 7.6-hour shift. The Fair Work Ombudsman's example has Josh attending a conference over two and a half days: 3 keeping in touch days are deducted. How you bundle the work decides how far the 10 go.
| Date | Activity | Hours | Days used | Left of 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 10 Mar 2027 | Team planning meeting | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| Tue 13 Apr 2027 | Training session | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| Tue 11 May 2027 | Training session | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Tue 8 Jun 2027 | Training session | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Wed 15 Dec 2027 | Handover | 7.6 | 1 | 5 |
| Thu 16 Dec 2027 | Handover | 7.6 | 1 | 4 |
2 + (3 x 3) + (2 x 7.6) = 26.2 hours over 6 days, leaving 4 of her 10. The 9 training hours on three Tuesdays cost 3 days. Run as one 7.6-hour day plus a 1.4-hour session, the same 9 hours would cost 2, and she would end the period with 5 left.
- Group short meetings and catch-ups onto one day.
- Ask whether training can run as a full day instead of several short sessions.
- Keep your own log of each date and the hours worked, and check it against your employer's count.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Keeping in touch days (2 September 2026, read 6 and 11 October 2026): "If an employee works a keeping in touch day as a part day, a full day is deducted"; Josh example. Fair Work Act 2009 s 79A: the duration of the work on the day is not relevant to the count. Hours and counts are our example.
Keeping in touch days and flexible parental leave
You cannot take a keeping in touch day while you are on flexible unpaid parental leave. If your plan mixes a continuous block with flexible days, put any keeping in touch days inside the continuous block. How flexible days are booked and how many you get is in flexible parental leave.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Keeping in touch days (2 September 2026): "Employees can't take keeping in touch days when they're on flexible unpaid parental leave." Fair Work Ombudsman, Types of parental leave (2 September 2026). Read 6 October 2026.
Are keeping in touch days paid?
Yes. You get your normal wage for the time you work on a keeping in touch day, and you accrue leave for that time. On every other day of unpaid parental leave you usually accrue nothing, so a keeping in touch day is one of the few ways to add to your annual leave and personal leave while you are away.
Odette earns a base rate of $42.00 an hour. Her 26.2 hours across six keeping in touch days pay 26.2 x $42.00 = $1,100.40 before tax. Her employer pays it, not Services Australia. How those hours add to her leave balance, and how much leave the unpaid weeks cost, is worked through in accruing annual leave on maternity leave. Super on parental leave pay is covered in super on maternity leave.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Keeping in touch days (2 September 2026, read 11 October 2026): "An employee gets their normal wage and accumulates leave entitlements for the time they work on a keeping in touch day." Fair Work Ombudsman, Accruing and taking other leave during parental leave (content last updated 23 October 2025, read 11 October 2026): "Employees don't usually build up (or accrue) paid leave while they're on unpaid parental leave. However, employees will continue to accrue some types of paid leave during: a keeping in touch day". The $42.00 rate is illustrative.
Keeping in touch days and Parental Leave Pay
Keeping in touch days and government Parental Leave Pay (PLP) run under different rules. Keeping in touch days are a Fair Work Act arrangement with your employer. PLP is paid by Services Australia, and you cannot work on a day you get it, except for allowable reasons. Services Australia treats you as working on a day if you work for 1 hour or more, and it names keeping in touch activities: a meeting, on the job training, or work to get familiar with your workplace or role before you return.
So a keeping in touch day of 1 hour or more cannot also be a PLP day. If it falls on one, you either pick a new day to get that PLP payment or return the day to your balance to use later. Some employer guides describe keeping in touch days as an exception to the PLP work rule; Services Australia's own page says otherwise.
For a child born or adopted from 1 July 2026 a family gets 130 PLP days, 20 of them reserved for the other parent, so a parent with a partner can get at most 110. Odette claims her 110 days as weekdays from Wed 13 Jan to Tue 15 Jun 2027: 110 x $200.94 = $22,103.40 before tax.
| Keeping in touch day | Hours | Inside her PLP run? | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 10 Mar 2027 | 2 | Yes | Working day for PLP: move it |
| Tue 13 Apr 2027 | 3 | Yes | Move it |
| Tue 11 May 2027 | 3 | Yes | Move it |
| Tue 8 Jun 2027 | 3 | Yes | Move it |
| Wed 15 Dec 2027 | 7.6 | No | No effect on PLP |
| Thu 16 Dec 2027 | 7.6 | No | No effect on PLP |
Taken straight after her run, the 4 moved PLP days become Wed 16, Thu 17, Fri 18 and Mon 21 Jun 2027. All still fall in 2026-27, so each is $200.94 and her total stays $22,103.40.
Now suppose her run had been Thu 28 Jan to Wed 30 Jun 2027. The 4 moved days would land on Thu 1, Fri 2, Mon 5 and Tue 6 Jul 2027, in 2027-28. PLP is paid at the rate for the financial year of each day claimed, so 106 x $200.94 = $21,299.64 at the 2026-27 rate, and the other 4 days at the 2027-28 rate, which has not been published yet.
Services Australia, If you work on a Parental Leave Pay day (page last updated 1 July 2025, read 11 October 2026): "We consider you're working on the day if you work for one hour or more. This includes keeping in touch with your workplace for any of the following: taking part in a meeting; doing on the job training; doing work to become familiar with the workplace or your role before you return to work." "You must either: select a new day to get it; return the day to your balance to use later."
Services Australia, Parental Leave Pay (page last updated 10 September 2026, read 7 October 2026): "You can't work on the days you get Parental Leave Pay, except for allowable reasons." Services Australia, How much Parental Leave Pay you can get (1 July 2026): "The current payment for Parental Leave Pay is $200.94 a day before tax, or $1,004.70 per 5 day week." "You'll get the rate that applies for the financial year of the day or days you are claiming for." Services Australia, Meeting the income test (1 July 2026): "Because Dom has a partner, he can get a maximum of 110 days". Read 6 October 2026. Dates and totals are our calculations.
The maternity leave calculator and the Parental Leave Pay calculator lay out your PLP days and dollars, so you can see which dates are free for keeping in touch days. The Paid Parental Leave work test calculator checks whether you qualify for PLP at all.
If you extend past 12 months
An extension beyond 12 months brings 10 more keeping in touch days. With your employer's agreement, unpaid parental leave can run to 24 months in total. The request goes in writing at least 4 weeks before your first period ends, and your employer must reply in writing within 21 days. Keeping in touch days themselves never move your return date: s 79B says the work does not extend the period of unpaid parental leave, and the Fair Work Ombudsman says they do not change its length either way.
- First period ends: Mon 3 Jan 2028.
- Request by: Mon 6 Dec 2027 (4 weeks before).
- Written reply due: by Mon 27 Dec 2027, if the request arrives on 6 December.
- Longest possible leave: a further 12 months to Wed 3 Jan 2029, inside the 24-months-from-birth limit of Thu 11 Jan 2029.
- Keeping in touch days: 10 more in the extension. Her December 2027 handover days fall in the first period, so they count against her first 10.
How an employer can refuse an extension, and how to come back early instead, are covered in returning to work after maternity or parental leave.
Fair Work Ombudsman, Parental leave and related entitlements (11 May 2026, read 6 October 2026): the request must be "in writing and given to the employer at least 4 weeks before the end of the employee's initial period of parental leave. The employer must respond in writing within 21 days"; "The parental leave must end within 24 months of the birth of the child." Fair Work Act 2009 s 79B: keeping in touch work "does not have the effect of extending the period of unpaid parental leave." Fair Work Ombudsman, Keeping in touch days (read 11 October 2026): "Keeping in touch days don't change the length of the unpaid parental leave period." Dates are our calculations.
Common questions
How many keeping in touch days do you get?
10 in the first 12-month period of unpaid parental leave, even if that period is shorter than 12 months. If you extend the leave beyond 12 months, you get 10 more, so 20 at most.
Are keeping in touch days paid?
Yes. Your employer pays your normal wage for the time you work, and leave accrues for that time.
Are keeping in touch days mandatory?
No. You and your employer both have to agree to each day and to when it is worked, and you do not have to use them at all.
When can I use keeping in touch days?
From day 15 after the birth or placement if you ask for one, and from day 43 if your employer suggests it. For a birth on 12 January 2027, those dates are 27 January and 24 February 2027. They cannot be taken on flexible leave days.
Does a part day count as a full keeping in touch day?
Yes. Working any part of a day deducts a full day from your 10, so grouping short meetings onto one day stretches the balance.
Can I do keeping in touch days while getting Parental Leave Pay?
Not on the same day. Working 1 hour or more, including a keeping in touch activity, counts as working that day, so you either pick a new day for that PLP payment or return the day to your balance.
Do keeping in touch days count towards Centrelink Parental Leave Pay?
They do not use up any PLP days, but a keeping in touch day of 1 hour or more cannot also be a PLP day. Move that payment to another date or return the day to your balance. Parental Leave Pay is paid by Services Australia through Centrelink.
Do I get more keeping in touch days if I extend my leave?
Yes, 10 more, but only if the extension takes the leave past 12 months. Extending a shorter leave within the first 12 months adds none.
How many parental leave days can you share with your partner?
For PLP, a family gets 130 days for a child born or adopted from 1 July 2026, with 20 reserved for the other parent, so a parent with a partner can get at most 110. Unpaid parental leave is separate: each parent has their own 12 months.
What are the changes to parental leave in Australia in 2026?
For a child born or adopted from 1 July 2026, PLP rose to 130 days per family at $200.94 a day, with 20 reserved for the other parent. Flexible unpaid parental leave rose to 130 days for births and placements from the same date. The keeping in touch rules did not change.
Author & reviewer
Sarah has spent over a decade advising Australian SMBs on Fair Work, NES compliance, and payroll. Based in Sydney, she has worked across hospitality, retail and professional services.