News

Paternity leave laws set to change

The Government has committed to making changes to paternity leave entitlements for the first time in several years.

• The changes will mean all employers will have to review their current policies and practices because the finer details of the paternity leave entitlement are affected, though no implementation date has yet been set.

• Currently, qualifying employees have a right to a maximum of two weeks' paternity leave which must be taken and completed within 56 days of the birth or adoption placement. Employees can take one week of leave but if they do, they lose the right to take the second week so their total entitlement reduces to one week.

• Employees must let employers know of the dates they want to take paternity leave by the 15th week before the expected week of
childbirth.

• The proposed changes to the law mean that employees will be able to choose to take two separate blocks of one week of paternity leave.
• The period during which leave can be taken will increase from 56 days to one year.

• Employees will only need to notify employers of their entitlement to leave by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth and then will need to give the dates of their leave 28 days before they actually want to take it.