Paternity leave question?

mose_2

My wife is due to give birth in september, I will be taking two weeks paterinty leave, my question is can my employer tell me when I have to take it?

Obviously I'll want to take it as soon as the baby is born, but can my employer refuse for me to take it straight away for any reason?

Thankyou.

SarEl

Y^es - you have to book it and changing the dates you have booked requires you to give notice

see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Moneyandworkentitlements/WorkAndFamilies/Paternityrightsintheworkplace/DG_10029398

surreysaver

No, an employer cannot dictate when you take Paternity leave, as long as you are entitled to it and give the correct notice.

You can give specific dates, or state you will take it as soon as the baby is born. You cannot take it before the baby is born, and you have to take it within 56 days of the baby's birth.

GiveMeCake

Congrats on the baby news! No they can't tell you when you can have it, but you have to inform them with enough notice (15/16 weeks before the birth I think) how much time you want off and what date you want to start. It can be tricky choosing the dates as babies aren't exactly born to order unless you've enough £££ to pay for a private c-section of course.

Mark_h_4

This also seems to be employers discression from what I have seen. When my Partner first got pregnant the company I was working for wanted to know my plans in writing however I then left (before the company went into administration) and the new employer only verbaly asked my plans. Writen wasnt required. As I had only just started I only got 2 days paid though the rest I had to take as holiday.

surreysaver

Mark_h wrote: »

This also seems to be employers discression from what I have seen. When my Partner first got pregnant the company I was working for wanted to know my plans in writing however I then left (before the company went into administration) and the new employer only verbaly asked my plans. Writen wasnt required. As I had only just started I only got 2 days paid though the rest I had to take as holiday.

It is not employer's discretion - it is the employee's discretion. The trouble is, employees do not know their rights. You only got two days because you didn't qualify for paternity leave because you hadn't worked for the employer for long enough. This is where men are still discriminated against.

surreysaver

GiveMeCake wrote: »

Cyou have to inform them with enough notice (15/16 weeks before the birth I think) how much time you want off and what date you want to start. It can be tricky choosing the dates as babies aren't exactly born to order unless you've enough £££ to pay for a private c-section of course.

It is not tricky - employees do have protection. You cannot start paternity leave before the baby is born, and you can state you will be taking it from when the baby is born, without giving a specific date.

Mark_h_4

surreysaver wrote: »

It is not employer's discretion - it is the employee's discretion. The trouble is, employees do not know their rights. You only got two days because you didn't qualify for paternity leave because you hadn't worked for the employer for long enough. This is where men are still discriminated against.

I knew that already my point was I told them when I was going on leave not that they told me.