Paternity leave affects a father of a baby, a partner of a mother who is having a baby, a child’s adopter, or an intended parent.

• The person taking leave must be an employee of the business.
• The employee must notify the company of their intention to take paternity leave at least 15 weeks before the baby’s due date.
• The employee must have worked for the company for 26 continuous weeks by the 15th week before their baby’s expected due date.

Currently, employees can take either one or two weeks of paternity leave and leave must be taken in one block (meaning that leave cannot be split into two separate blocks of 1 week).

Paternity leave must start after the birth of the baby and end within 56 days of the child’s birth and, should an employee wish to change the date of their paternity leave, they must tell their employer with a minimum of 28 days’ notice.

Expected changes from 6th April 2024

From 6th April 2024, employees who qualify for paternity leave will be entitled to split their leave into two blocks of one week. It is also anticipated that they will be entitled to take their paternity leave at any point within 52 weeks of their child’s birth, rather than the existing 56 days. 

Employees must still notify their employer of their intention to take paternity leave at least 15 weeks before the baby’s due date but will no longer have to provide specific leave dates so far in advance. Instead, employees will be required to provide just 28 days’ notice of the specific dates they wish to take each period off paternity leave. 

Policy update

All HR clients of Stallard Kane will be provided with an updated paternity leave policy later this year. 

For additional information or support, please do not hesitate to contact us at hr@skaltd.co.uk or call 01427 420 404 and #oneoftheteam will be happy to help.

You can also download our “Employment Law Update - Quick Reference Guide”, which provides an overview of the changes anticipated throughout 2024. 

About the author

This article is provided by our sister company, Stallard Kane, a specialist risk management service provider offering expert advice and solutions in Health and Safety, HR, Risk Solutions and Training. This article is for general guidance only and aims to provide general information on a relevant topic in a concise form. This article should not be regarded as advice in relation to a particular circumstance. Action should not be taken without obtaining specific advice.

If you want a truly personalised service, contact your usual Towergate advisor today who can put you in touch with Stallard Kane’s HR Team to discuss your requirements – call 01427 420 403 or email hr@skaltd.co.uk, and #oneoftheteam will be happy to help.