HR updates
Leave for dads/mother’s partners to change
Paternity leave never changes, right? Wrong.
It’s been 8 years since any change to the law on paternity leave but the Government has committed to switching up the system to make it more flexible.
The last change was the removal of additional paternity leave so it wasn’t even about the details of actual paternity leave – that’s what’s happening this time.
The important thing to say is that the amount of leave isn’t increasing. Well not always, anyway.
So what’s changing?
- Change no. 1:
As is stands, you get maximum two weeks’ paternity leave. If you take both weeks together, then you get the two weeks. If your plans are to take one week, then you lose the second week and your total leave is one week.
The law will change so that when you take one week, you won’t lose the second week. You’ll get to take it separately later. So the amount of leave is increasing, for some people.
- Change no. 2:
You have to take your paternity leave within 56 days of the birth/adoption placement
The law will change so that you can take your leave at any point in the first year of the birth/adoption placement
- Change no. 3:
You have to tell your employer that you want to take leave, and when, by 15 weeks before the birth
The law will change so that you need to tell your employer you are entitled to take the leave by 15 weeks before the birth, but then you only have to tell them the dates of your leave by 28 days before you want to actually take it.
When is it changing?
There’s no timeline yet, but employers should prepare now.
*********What this means for employers**********
- Policies will need updating. I doubt there is a paternity leave policy in the land that incorporates the new rules so every single employer will need to check that their policy complies. Even if there is, it will be labelled as an enhanced policy which will not be correct when the law changes.
- Practices will need changing. The existing rules have been in place for so long (since 2002!) that it’s second nature to follow them and think you know them. Following the new rules will need active thought, active training and active compliance. If employers stick to the old rules, they are denying their staff important employment rights.
Messaging will need to be addressed. Be the employer that your staff have confidence in. Tell them that their rights are getting better in advance of the change, when the timeline is published.
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