Parental Leave

Eligible employees can take unpaid parental leave to look after their child's welfare, eg to:

• spend more time with their children
• look at new schools
• settle children into new childcare arrangements
• spend more time with family - eg visiting grandparents

Their employment rights (like the right to pay, holidays and returning to a job) are protected during parental leave.

Entitlement

Parental leave is unpaid. You're entitled to 18 weeks' leave for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday.

The limit on how much parental leave each parent can take in a year is 4 weeks for each child (unless the employer agrees otherwise).

You must take parental leave as whole weeks (eg 1 week or 2 weeks) rather than individual days, unless your employer agrees otherwise or if your child is disabled. You don't have to take all the leave at once.

A ‘week' equals the length of time an employee normally works over 7 days.

Visit the website for further information.