Paternity

If your wife, civil partner or partner gives birth to a child, or if you are the biological father of the child, you may be entitled to paternity leave and pay.

Paternity leave is also available to adoptive parents where a child is matched or newly placed with you for adoption. Either an adoptive father or adoptive mother may take paternity leave where the other adoptive parent has elected to take adoption leave.

To be eligible for paternity leave you must:

• Have been continuously employed by the Company for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15^th week before the week in which your child is expected; or if you are an adoptive parent, continuously employed for at least 26 weeks by the end of the week in which you are notified of having been matched with a child for adoption; and

• Expect to have responsibility for the upbringing of the child.

To be eligible for paternity pay you must:

• Meet the eligibility requirements for paternity leave;

• Remain continuously employed up to the date of birth; and

• Have an average weekly earnings at least equal to the lower earnings limit for National Insurance contributions.

If you are eligible for paternity leave, you can choose to take either 1 or 2 weeks. You will get the same amount of leave if your partner has a multiple birth (such as twins).

You must take your leave in one go. A week is the same amount of days that you normally work in a week - for example, a week is 2 days if you only work on Mondays and Tuesdays.

You need to give your Line Manager 15 weeks' written notice of the date on which your baby is due. Your notice needs to include the Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC).

If you are adopting a child, it's no later than 7 days written notice after the date on which you were notified of a match with a child. Your notice needs to specify the date your child is expected to be placed for adoption and the date on which you were notified of having been matched.

You need to confirm the length of paternity leave you wish to take and the date on which you wish the leave to start.

Your Line Manager may request to see a copy of the maternity certificate (MAT B1).

If you are eligible for paternity pay, please complete form SC3.

If you eligible for paternity pay and are adopting a child, please complete form SC4. This needs to be completed within 7 days of being matched with a child for your leave and 28 days before you want your pay to start. You will also need to provide your Line Manager with proof of adoption, this can be a letter from your adoption agency or the matching certificate.

Your paternity leave cannot start before the birth and must end within 56 days of the birth or adoption of your child.

If you wish to change the start date of your paternity leave, you need to give your Line Manager 28 days' written notice.

If you wish to take both paternity and shared parental leave, you must take your period of paternity leave first. You cannot take paternity leave if you have already taken a period of shared parental leave in relation to the same child.

If you expect to have responsibility for the upbringing of a child, you can take unpaid leave to attend up to 2 antenatal or adoption appointments.

If you are part of a couple jointly adopting a child, you can elect one of you to take paid leave to attend up to 5 adoption appointments and the other to take unpaid leave to attend up to 2 adoption appointments.

Wherever possible, these appointments should be arranged for the start or end of your working day.

Speak to your Line Manager to request time off for antenatal or adoption appointments ensuring you give as much notice as possible.

If you are eligible for paternity pay, you will received statutory paternity pay. This is at a rate set by the Government, or at 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).

You will receive paternity pay in the same way as your wages and Tax and National Insurance will be deducted.

Whilst you are on paternity leave, you will remain on your normal terms and conditions of employment, except your salary. You cannot be paid paternity pay at the same time as statutory sick pay (SSP), if you become unwell before starting your paternity leave, you should postpone it.