Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

Unpaid parental leave does not break continuity of service under the Fair Work Act. To the extent that a casual employee is a long-term casual employee who is eligible for unpaid parental leave under the Fair Work Act and they are on unpaid parental leave, that period can count for the purposes of satisfying the 12-month regular and systemic requirement as a casual for the JobKeeper payment. Unpaid parental leave does not break, as I've said, the employee's continuity of service. So, as long as that employee is on the employer's books on 1 March 2020, that employee will be eligible, subject to any other criteria which might apply. If a casual employee is on paid parental leave, for example, under the terms of an enterprise agreement, then that period will also count as service towards meeting the 12-month regular and systematic requirement for eligibility for JobKeeper payment.