The right to parental leave is governed by the Ordinary Parental Leave Policy.
- A maximum of four weeks' leave per child can be taken during a particular year (there are special rules that set out when each leave year begins)
- Parental leave can only be taken in blocks of a week or multiples of a week.
Ordinary Parental Leave Policy
Managing and responding to parental leave requests
An employee who wishes to take parental leave must give you at least 21 days' notice and state the dates on which they wish the period of leave to start and end. The response to the request should be given in writing, ensuring that the employee understands that the leave must be taken for the care of the child.
If a parent wants to take parental leave on the birth of a child, they must give the employer at least 21 days' notice of the expected week of childbirth (EWC) and the period of parental leave they want to take. Similar rules apply if employees want to take a period of parental leave at the time of a placement for adoption. They must give 21 days' notice of the week the placement is expected to occur and the period of parental leave they want to take. If it is not possible to give 21 days' notice they must give the notice as soon as reasonably practicable.
You can postpone the parental leave if it is felt that the operation of University business would be unduly disrupted by the employee taking leave at that time. This must be done within seven days of receiving the employee's notice. In this case you must:
- agree to allow the employee to take the same period of leave at a specified later date
- consult the employee about the new start date, which must be within six months of the date the employee originally requested
- write to the employee confirming the postponement, the reasons for it and the new dates when leave will start and end.
You are not entitled to postpone parental leave if it is being taken on the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption.
If you cannot meet the request for parental leave then it is recommended that you meet with the employee to explain the reasons. If the employee is facing a genuine difficulty relating to childcare (eg the nursery will be closed), try to consider ways of helping even if the leave cannot be granted. For example, it might be possible to allow the employee to work flexibly during that period, or to allow the employee to work reduced hours. It is important to write to the employee, to confirm that the request cannot be granted and to confirm any alternative that has been agreed. It might be appropriate to suggest an alternative time that the leave could be taken.