Your top ten parental leave questionsWe answer your most common questions about your rights and legal entitlements as a working parent.
What is parental leave?The right to parental leave came into effect on 15 December 1999. It enables parents, including adoptive parents, who have children under the age of 5, to take a maximum of 13 weeks unpaid leave in order to look after their child. If the child was under the age of 5 on 15 December 1999 parents have until 31 March 2005 in which to take the leave, even though this may mean that the child is over 5 when the leave is taken. Who is entitled to take parental leave?In order to take parental leave you need to have at least one year's continuous service, although service with a previous employer can count. You also need to be the parent, natural or adoptive, of a child who was under the age of 5 on 15 December 1999, or who was born or adopted after this date. Parental leave applies to both mothers and fathers. How much parental leave can be taken at once?Some organisations have set up their own rules for the taking of parental leave. In the absence of these, the maximum amount of leave that may be taken at any one time is four weeks. The minimum amount of leave that can be taken at one time is a week, unless the child is disabled. I have two children. Am I entitled to parental leave for each of them?Yes. You are entitled to 13 weeks leave for each child. My partner and I work for the same company. Can we both take parental leave?You are both entitled to take parental leave, although your employer may request that you do not take the leave at the same time. I want to take parental leave later this year. When should I tell my employer?You need to give at least 21 days' notice of your intention to take parental leave. This should be in writing and state when you intend your parental leave to start and how long you intend to take. If you are a father and want to take parental leave around the time of your child's birth, you need to give your employer 21 days' notice before the beginning of the expected week of childbirth and specify the expected week of childbirth and how long you expect the leave to last. Adoptive parents should specify the week of the placement and again, give notice of their intention to take leave at least 21 days' before the placement is due to start and specify how long they intend to take off. I understand that I may be entitled to time off for family emergencies. What counts as an "emergency"?You are entitled to take unpaid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant if:
What is the definition of a dependant?A dependant is your child, husband or wife, parent, or any other person who lives in the same house as you (but not tenants, lodgers, boarders or anyone employed by you). What do I need to do if I want to take time off?You should tell your employer as soon as possible of the reason for your absence and how long you expect to be away from work. How much time off can I take?This type of leave is for emergencies only, so it is expected that you would not need to take more than a day or two off work at the very most. If you need to take more time off work, speak to your manager - you may be able to take holiday or unpaid time off work instead. Where to next?
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