Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

AdoptionMaternity and paternity

April 2015 changes: time off for adoption appointments

by Jeya Thiruchelvam 2 Apr 2015
by Jeya Thiruchelvam 2 Apr 2015

While shared parental leave and pay has dominated coverage of the April 2015 employment law changes, the introduction of the right to time off to attend adoption appointments has received next to no attention. However, employers need to be aware of this right and make sure that they have updated their policies to include it.

When is the right to time off for adoption appointments available?

From 5 April 2015, employees who are adopting either alone or jointly are entitled to time off during working hours to attend adoption appointments. This is a day-one right for employees.

There are various conditions attached to the right. For example, the appointment must take place before the start of the child’s placement and have been arranged by the adoption agency.

Time off for adoption appointments: model documents

Letter responding to an adopter who has requested paid time off to attend an adoption appointment

Letter responding to an adopter who has requested unpaid time off to attend an adoption appointment

Declaration form for a joint adopter who has requested time off to attend adoption appointments

Is the time off for adoption appointments paid or unpaid?

An employee who is adopting alone is entitled to paid time off, whereas an employee who is adopting jointly with another person can choose to take paid time off or unpaid time off.

However, if one employee in the couple chooses to take paid time off, the other employee is restricted to taking unpaid time off.

The right to paid time off is more generous and allows the employee to attend up to five adoption appointments. The right to unpaid time off allows the employee to go along to two appointments. The employee can absent in relation to each appointment for a set number of hours only.

Can an employer ask for proof of the adoption appointment?

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

An employer can request that the employee provides confirmation of the date and time of the appointment and that it has been arranged by the adoption agency. Where an employer makes such a request, the employee is not entitled to take the time off that they have requested unless they provide that confirmation.

What if an employer refuses an employee time off?

There are consequences where an employer unreasonably refuses an employee’s request for time off as an employee is entitled to pursue matters in the employment tribunal.

Jeya Thiruchelvam

I joined the Brightmine editorial team after a six-year spell in private practice as an employment solicitor. I graduated from Cardiff University in law and politics and decided to qualify into employment law because it is people-focused with a political dimension.

previous post
Religious discrimination: seven religion and belief questions in the workplace
next post
Adoption and shared parental leave: eight steps for employers

You may also like

Asda hails major upgrade in employees’ benefits

3 Jul 2025

Government launches ‘landmark’ review of parental leave

1 Jul 2025

How HR can support families with adoption

1 Jul 2025

Reforming paternity leave could benefit UK by £13bn...

30 Jun 2025

Parental leave system is ‘broken’, say MPs

10 Jun 2025

Government urged to commit to wholesale review of...

6 May 2025

Miscarriage and pregnancy loss leave progresses to House...

24 Mar 2025

New rules from April on neonatal leave and...

21 Mar 2025

April 2025: What’s coming up for HR?

21 Mar 2025

Ministers commit to miscarriage and pregnancy loss leave

12 Mar 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+