Taking Paternity/ Partner Leave? This is what you need to do and when.
Paternity/ Partner Leave is up to two weeks leave on the birth or adoption of a child within the first 52 weeks. You may also be entitled to two weeks' statutory Paternity Pay (SSP) or one week Occupational Paternity Pay and one week Statutory Paternity Pay or just Occupational Paternity Pay depending on how long you have been employed at University.
- Statutory Paternity rates of pay are found on .gov.uk website (link)
- You can choose to take:
- One week of leave
- Two consecutive weeks of leave
- Two non-consecutive single weeks of leave.
You’re eligible for paternity/ partner leave as long as:
- You have, or expect to have, main responsibility (along with the child’s mother or adopter) for the new baby or adopted child’s upbringing
- You’ve been continuously employed by the University for at least 26 weeks by the time the mother reaches her qualifying week (15 weeks before she’s due to give birth) or the week in which you’re notified of a match if you’re adopting or the date the child enters the country if adopting from abroad.
- You’re using your paternity leave to either look after the child or support the child’s mother or adopter in caring for the child; and
You will:
- have or expect to have responsibility for the child's upbringing
- be the biological father of the child or the mother’s/primary adopter’s husband or partner (including same sex relationships)
- have worked continuously for the University for 26 weeks ending with the 15th week before the baby is due, or the end of the week in which the child's adopter is notified of being matched with the child (UK adoption), or the date the child enters the UK (overseas adoptions).
The partner of someone who's pregnant has the right to time off work to attend 2 pregnancy-related ('antenatal') appointments. This time off is unpaid. You have the legal right to take up to 6.5 hours per antenatal appointment which includes travel to and from the appointment.
If you do not not want to take unpaid time off, you can ask to take it as holiday or make up the hours later. You and your line manager would need to agree to this.
Employees who have been employed by the University for a minimum of 52 weeks as at the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth are entitled to Occupational Paternity/Partner Pay as follows:
(i) 1 week at full pay (including Statutory Paternity/Partner Pay (SPP*))
(ii) 1 week at flat rate SPP* (or 90% of earnings if this is less than flat rate SMP)
In order to be paid during their period of Paternity/Partner Leave employees must inform the Human Resources department at least 28 days before they wish to commence Paternity/Partner Leave where reasonably practicable to do so; and provide a self-certificate (SC3) form (available at www.gov.uk).
By law, you must tell your line manager and HR the following information no later than 15 weeks before the date the baby is due:
- that you are expecting a baby
- how much paternity leave you plan to take – by law you can take 1 or 2 weeks
- the date you want to start their leave
Because the baby could arrive early or late you should
- inform your line manager as soon as possible of any changes to your planned dates
- make appropriate arrangements for your absence with your line manager, such as arranging or delgating responsibilities.
You cannot start paternity leave before the birth, but you could take another type of leave (annual leave for example), depending on your employment contract.
If there is a stillbirth or the baby dies soon after birth then you will still have paternity rights if:
- the baby is stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy
- the baby dies soon after birth
If you are eligible for parental bereavement leave and pay you have the right to take this after you finish paternity leave. Please see the Compassionate Leave policy under S5 which deals with parental bereavement leave and pay.
Once you have completed the SC3 form sent it to the HR Helpdesk then your employee record will be updated by the HR Admin team on PeopleNet. An HR advisor will email the employee with a Paternity/Partner confirmation letter and your line manager will be cc'd in.