What is parental leave and who can take this?
From 5 April 2015, employees with more than one year’s continuous service have been entitled to 18 week’s unpaid leave for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday.
Employees need to request leave giving at least 21 days’ notice before the intended start date.
When can parental leave be taken?
Employees cannot take anymore than four weeks in any one year. One weeks parental leave is based on the employees usual working pattern each week. Parental leave need not be taken in one block for each eligible year, but it must be taken in blocks of at least a week at a time, unless the child is disabled, in which case it may be taken as individual days.
When taken by the mother of a child, parental leave may be taken immediately after maternity, paternity or adoption leave providing the correct notice is given.
How should an employee apply for parental leave?
An employee must give at least 21 days’ notice of his/her wish to take parental leave and when it will begin and end. The school may postpone the time at which the leave is taken (for no more than six months) if it can be demonstrated that taking leave at the time requested would cause undue disruption. In this case the school must give notice of postponement within seven days of receiving the request. The employee is entitled to a written statement of the reasons for postponement.
An employee applying for parental leave may be required to produce evidence of responsibility or expected responsibility for the child; the child’s date of birth (or placement in the case of adoption); and, in the case of a disabled child, evidence of entitlement to a disability living allowance.
This entitlement is in addition to any rights to maternity/adoption and/or paternity leave or shared parental leave.
For more information visit GOV.uk, link here
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