Paternity leave is an entitlement to time off that may be taken by the biological father or the mother's partner (regardless of gender or marital status) following the birth or adoption of their child. Paternity leave is intended to support parents in the early stages of a child's life/adoption.
All eligible employees may be able to take one or two weeks' paternity leave which may be available at full pay. Paternity leave must be taken in the first 56 days following the birth or adoption of a child*.
Employees may also be eligible for:
- Shared Parental Leave (SPL)
- Statutory Unpaid Parental Leave
- And to request flexible working (ie a change to their hours, times or place of work)
Follow the links on the right-hand side of this page for more information.
* in the event of multiple birth (such as twins) no further leave is available, although departments are asked to give sympathetic consideration to requests to book annual leave, additional annual leave or unpaid parental leave