Changes to Paternity Leave

The Government has produced a response to a consultation launched in 2019 regarding parental leave and pay. In this response, the Government has agreed to amend current legislation to allow more flexibility. These changes include:

• Employees will be able to split their two weeks of paternity leave into two blocks of one week,

• Employees will be permitted to take paternity leave at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child, rather than just within the first eight weeks,

• How employees must notify you of their intent to take paternity leave will change. Employees will have to give notice 15 weeks before the expected week of childbirth (EWC), and then four weeks' notice for each period of leave.

Once these changes come into force, you must amend your paternity leave policy and re-train your Managers on paternity leave. There is currently no specific date set for when these changes will be established, so it is also important to keep an eye on the latest Employment Law news.