What are keeping in touch days?
Keeping in touch days, sometimes called touch days, enable employees on parental leave to take part in short, structured paid work that supports their transition back to work. These days help employees remain familiar with the workplace, maintain relationships and build new or updated skills relevant to their role.
Under Fair Work rules, employees may take up to 10 keeping in touch days during each 12-month period of unpaid parental leave and a further 10 if the employer grants an additional year of leave.
Example: An employee on parental leave attends a planning day and a half-day training session. Each session counts as one KIT day, even though one lasts only a few hours.
Keeping in touch days and parental leave
The Fair Work Act and National Employment Standards entitle employees to paid and unpaid parental leave, plus keeping in touch (KIT) days. For employers, KIT days help new parents maintain contact, stay informed about workplace developments and prepare for their return to work.
Each KIT day allows limited paid work activity – even one hour counts as one KIT day – without interrupting Parental Leave Pay or affecting other employee entitlements. With written agreement, KIT days help employees stay connected, refresh skills and return to work with confidence.
The National Employment Standards provide employees who are birth parents, adoptive parents and carers with 12 months of unpaid parental leave, extendable to 24 months by agreement. KIT days are separate from this entitlement and do not count as a return to work.
Australia’s Paid Parental Leave scheme, administered by Services Australia, currently provides 20 weeks of government-funded Parental Leave Pay, rising in stages to 26 weeks by July 2026. Employees may also receive employer-funded parental leave, giving families more flexibility.
Employers and employees can agree in writing to use KIT days after the first 42 days following birth or adoption. Work performed on KIT days does not affect Parental Leave Pay as long as all conditions under Fair Work are met.
How keeping in touch days affect parental leave
KIT days are an exception to the usual rule that returning to work ends parental leave pay. Employees can take up to 10 keeping in touch days during each 12-month parental leave period without losing entitlements. If the employer approves an additional year of leave, the employee becomes entitled to another 10 days.
One hour of paid work activity counts as a full keeping in touch day. Work performed accumulates leave entitlements and employees must be paid their normal wage for the hours worked. If KIT days coincide with paid parental leave, employers can either extend the paid leave period or credit back the leave.
Working beyond the 10-day limit is considered a full return to work, which ends parental leave entitlements.
How keeping in touch days work
KIT days must be mutually agreed between the employer and employee. Either party may propose them, but both must agree in writing. Keeping in touch days can be taken as single days or spread across several weeks.
Employees cannot work keeping in touch days within the first two weeks after birth or adoption. After 42 days, employers may suggest keeping in touch days, but participation remains voluntary. A part-day still counts as one keep in touch day if the employee performs at least one hour of paid work.
Employers need to track KIT day usage to ensure employees do not exceed 10 days within each 12-month unpaid parental leave period. Keeping in touch days are designed for limited, purposeful work rather than resuming regular work activities.
Permitted keeping in touch activities
KIT days are intended to help employees become familiar with the workplace again and build confidence before returning. Typical activities include:
- attending planning days or team meetings
- participating in training sessions or conferences
- learning new or updated processes
- reconnecting with colleagues through induction or orientation
- developing new skills or practising existing ones.
These activities count as paid work and must contribute to the employee’s transition back to work. Performing regular work activities, filling in for others or exceeding the 10-day limit may be deemed a full return to work and could affect parental leave pay.
Activities not counted as keeping in touch days
Informal or unpaid activities do not count as KIT days and have no impact on leave. Examples include:
- visiting colleagues socially
- attending workplace social events
- checking emails without pay
- other unpaid activities during casual visits.
These allow employees to stay connected without affecting their entitlements.
Record-keeping requirements
While employers are not required to report keeping in touch days to Services Australia, maintaining internal records is recommended. Record employee requests, agreed activities and dates to prevent disputes over how many days were worked.
Store records securely and retain them in line with privacy obligations.
Payment and entitlements
Work completed on a KIT day must be paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay. Employees continue to accumulate annual leave and other entitlements for hours worked.
Although a keep in touch day may be part-day, it still counts as a full day for entitlement purposes. Employers must ensure that paid work activities on KIT days serve the agreed purpose of staying connected, not as a full return to work.
Managing leave and work balance
Balancing time away from work with ongoing connection to the workplace benefits both employees and employers. KIT days provide a structured way for employees to stay informed, participate in training or attend planning sessions.
Employers can support this balance by ensuring that KIT participation is always voluntary and properly compensated. Clear policies and communication help manage expectations and maintain a positive relationship throughout the parental leave period.
Best practices for keeping in touch days
Employers can maximise the value of KIT days by:
- creating clear policies on how KIT days operate
- encouraging employees to request KIT days based on their needs
- ensuring accurate record-keeping and compliance with Fair Work provisions
- paying fairly and maintaining confidentiality
- promoting flexibility in scheduling KIT days.
Following these steps supports both business continuity and employee well-being.
How employers can support working parents
Offering keeping in touch days is one way to support working parents. Additional strategies include:
- Creating gender-neutral parental leave policies – Inclusive policies allow both parents to share care responsibilities. Government-funded Parental Leave Pay is available to either parent and can be shared between them.
- Offering flexible working arrangements – Allowing flexible hours or remote work supports new parents and reduces pressure when returning to work after giving birth or adopting a child.
- Assisting with childcare – Providing subsidies or partnerships with childcare centres helps working parents and improves retention rates.
These measures, together with keeping in touch days, strengthen employee engagement and create a supportive workplace culture.
Key takeaways
- Keeping in touch days let employees on unpaid parental leave perform limited paid work
- Employees can take up to 10 KIT days for each 12-month parental leave period
- One hour of paid work equals one KIT day
- Work performed accumulates leave entitlements and must be paid at the normal wage
- Keeping in touch days cannot occur within the first two weeks after birth or adoption of a child
- Keeping in touch days do not affect Parental Leave Pay or unpaid parental leave entitlements
- Activities must focus on training, planning or skills updates
- Employer and employee must agree in writing before work occurs
- Keeping accurate records is best practice
KIT days bridge the gap between parental leave and returning to work, helping employees stay connected while ensuring Fair Work compliance.
Further information and resources
For authoritative guidance, visit:
- Fair Work Ombudsman – Information on the Fair Work Act and National Employment Standards
- Services Australia – Details about Paid Parental Leave and related entitlements
- Employer Toolkit – Templates and best-practice advice for managing parental leave and KIT days
Employers seeking tailored advice can also consult workplace relations specialists to ensure their policies remain compliant and supportive.
