An employer's guide to additional paternity leave

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An employer's guide to additional paternity leave

Additional paternity leave came into force on 3 April 2011

New fathers have the right to 26 weeks' additional paternity leave within the first year of the child's life if the mother returns to work.

Fathers are able to take advantage of the extended paternity leave entitlement if the child had an expected week of birth beginning on or after 3 April 2011.

Additional paternity leave is also available to adoptive parents within the first year after the child’s placement for adoption.

Here you can find all the latest news, guidance and advice to help your business prepare for the changes.

View information on the additional statutory paternity pay rate.

Weekly dilemma: Additional paternity leave
I have heard that rules have been introduced allowing new parents to take a longer period of paternity leave where the mother has returned to work. How does this operate, and what do we have to pay...
Posted: 06 Apr 2011 | FULL ARTICLE

Additional paternity leave FAQs

Additional paternity leave

Which employees qualify for additional paternity leave?

Are employees entitled to be paid during additional paternity leave?

Is there a specific time period when additional paternity leave can be taken?

How much notice of intention to take additional paternity leave and pay is an employee required to give?

How should an employer respond to an employee's notice of intention to take additional paternity leave and pay?

For the purposes of entitlement to statutory additional paternity leave, in what circumstances is the mother treated as having returned to work?

Additional paternity pay

In which circumstances is an employee entitled to receive additional statutory paternity pay?

For how many weeks may an employee be paid additional statutory paternity pay?

Can an employer recover any additional statutory paternity pay that it pays out?

If an employer offers contractual maternity pay above the statutory rate is it obliged to offer enhanced contractual paternity pay?

What information must an employee applying to take statutory additional paternity pay provide in a birth situation?

To how much additional paternity pay is an employee entitled if the mother returns to work with, for example, six weeks' statutory maternity pay remaining, but the employee does not begin additional paternity leave until two weeks later?

Does an employee still qualify for additional statutory paternity pay if the employee leaves the employment before the additional paternity leave is due to start?

If an employee who qualifies for additional paternity pay is dismissed as redundant should he be paid his full additional paternity pay entitlement?

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