Paternity leave - advice please.

happytails

I am due in Feb and my partner is looking for a new job and if he gets a new job before the baby is here what leave is he entitled to?

Everywhere ive read says to claim Statutory Paternity Leave/Pay you need to have been employed for atleast 26weeks by the time your partner reaches the 25th week of pregnancy (which at this current job he has)

He doesnt feel his job is secure enough but i hate the idea of him having to go to work the day after his little girl arrives into this world - any advice?

Sarah & bump
27+4

clairec79

He wouldn't be automatically entitled to anything - however many employers will let you take annual leave at short notice for things like that.
Some places may do unpaid leave

Kzlnd

Yes your partner wouldn't be entitled to statutory paternity leave & pay with a new company as he wouldn't have worked there long enough, he probably won't have accrued very much annual leave either? So unless the company are very generous and can afford to 'lose' an employee for a few weeks, it may be difficult getting them to agree to leave. :rolleyes:
My partner's workplace do allow up to 6weeks unpaid leave in addition to the stat pat leave & pay but I don't know if this is an 'employee benefit' after x number of weeks/months/years of service sort of thing, he's been with the company for a good 7yrs.

elle_gee

Kzlnd wrote: »

My partner's workplace do allow up to 6weeks unpaid leave in addition to the stat pat leave & pay but I don't know if this is an 'employee benefit' after x number of weeks/months/years of service sort of thing, he's been with the company for a good 7yrs.

I would say it is a specific company perk - it's definitely not a statutory general entitlement. I work in a HR Dept and we have 200+ men, a lot of them with 10+ years plaus service and it's never come up before (if it was a statutory thing, one of them would have let us know before now!)

Kzlnd

I know it's not statutory but was highlighting it being an apparent employee 'benefit' - I don't see it as such! lol :rotfl:
I think paternity leave should be much longer than 2weeks and unpaid leave at such a time is hardly a benefit. Such a shame!

I think OP's partner would possibly be better staying in the current employment if the leave is important otherwise it's unlikely they will be granted any paid or unpaid in a new job (but then I'm sure there are some generous/caring employers out there ..somewhere! ).

JCS1

When I was doing payroll at a previous company, and the person was not entitled to SSP, we instead agreed to pay them the SPP rate instead for one or two weeks (and not claim back from HMRC). Though it was a high end salary company, so it made us look kind and caring, and also saved money

onlyroz

My own employer recently said no to a man asking for paternity leave, on the grounds that he hadn't yet been there for 6 months. However, it all depends on how generous the company is - maybe a discrete question to the HR dept of the potential employer? Prob best not to raise the issue in the interview itself...

Savvy_Sue

I think you've had your answer, and if Dad being able to stay home when baby first arrives is important, I'd consider hanging on too, not long now! However,

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BillScarab

You are entitled by law to 13 weeks unpaid leave in the first five years of your childs life. It was introduced around the time my son was born six years ago, I know as I was the first person in my company to exercise the right. I don't know if there is any requirement for you to have been with the company for any length of time though. It was introduced as part of the 1999 Employment Relations Act.

I know unpaid leave isn't as good as paternity leave but it could be useful.