Public service commissioner Peter Woolcott on Friday announced his agency would review the Maternity Leave (Commonwealth Employees) Act 1973 (Maternity Leave Act), calling it the first substantial inquiry into the legislation in more than 40 years.

"This review of our parental leave entitlements will ensure the Australian Public Service continues to be an employer of choice and is well equipped to offer working parents an opportunity to serve the Australian public now and into the future," he said in a written statement.

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The public service commission, which oversees the bureaucracy's workforce, said the review would focus on health and flexibility, and cover paid maternity leave eligibility and entitlements, the health needs of birth mothers, ease of administration, flexibility of entitlements and superannuation issues.

The review is open to submissions from the public, and will report its findings and recommendations to the federal government in early 2022.

Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Melissa Donnelly said paid parental leave entitlements and expectations had changed significantly since 1973.

"This is an opportunity for equity, by ensuring that both parents can access paid leave to care for children, for paid leave to cover both parents regardless of gender, and for leave to extend to foster and adoption arrangements," she said.

"The Maternity Leave Act Review must also update the antiquated language of the current Act."

Ms Donnelly said it was essential that no worker be left worse off by the review.

"CPSU members have fought for and won real improvements on the minimum legislated rights through enterprise agreements, and the CPSU would be very concerned if this review sought to wind back those rights in any way," she said.

"This review was included in the newly-released Gender Equality Strategy; and the union will be arguing strongly that any changes should improve rights and not take any employee backwards. The outcomes of the review should be held to that standard."

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