Ordinary Parental Leave
Parental leave aims to support parents to balance their work and family commitments.
It is defined as pre-arranged unpaid leave taken to look after a child or to make arrangements for the good of a child’s welfare.
There is a separate right to take leave when there is an emergency involving the child Emergency Dependents Leave Policy.
Eligible employees are entitled to take up to a total of 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave per child up to their 18th birthday. This is an individual right and cannot be transferred between parents.
Employees who work part-time will receive a pro-rata amount of parental leave.
The reasons for the leave need not be connected with the child’s health and is intended to provide time off for parents for matters that can be foreseen.
Parental leave can be taken in blocks or multiples of one week, up to a maximum of four weeks in any one calendar year for each child. In the case where the child has been awarded disability living allowance, leave can be taken in blocks of a single day or more.
Terms and conditions of employment will apply (except for pay) and an employee will continue to accrue annual leave and the University will continue to pay pension contributions, if applicable.
An employee must have completed at least one year’s continuous service with the employer to be eligible, including those on a Fixed Term Appointment.
Both parents, whether natural or adoptive parents, or guardians by law can qualify for parental leave.
You do not need to be living with the child to qualify.
If you have changed jobs, the University has the right to make enquiries of your previous employer, or to seek a declaration from you, to establish how much parental leave you have already taken. Where the full entitlement has not been taken the employee may apply to take any remaining balance.
You should discuss your plans to take parental leave with your line manager at the earliest possible opportunity to enable any absence to be planned for.
You should provide at least 21 days’ notice of an intention to take parental leave and include the dates you wish the period of leave to begin and end. The Parental Leave request form should be used to make your request.
If agreed, your line manager will confirm the period of unpaid leave in writing.
If not agreed, your line manager will inform you of this decision in writing confirming the reasons that your request has been denied.
You have the right to appeal this decision in writing within 10 days of the receipt of your request to the Dean of Faculty/Head of Service.
The Dean of Faculty/Head of Service will review the case and decide on the outcome of the appeal in writing within 10 days of receiving the appeal.
The University reserves the right to postpone a period of parental leave requested for up to six months.
Postponement will be confirmed in writing no later than seven days after the employee’s request to take parental leave has been received.
The letter will state the reason for the postponement and set out suggested new dates of parental leave.
If a postponement means delaying the leave beyond the age at which the right to take Department Parental Leave ceases, an extension will be allowed.