The right to parental leave factsheet

Eligibility

Parental leave is available to any employee with 1 year’s continuous service who has, or expects to have, responsibility for a child. 

This means parental responsibility and will automatically apply to the child’s mother and to the child’s father if married to the mother at the time off birth.  It will also cover fathers who are named on the birth certificate and any other individual who has acquired ‘parental responsibility’ including adoptive parents.

Leave entitlement

Parental leave is set at 13 weeks for each child. If twins are born each parent will get 13 weeks leave for each child.

Parents of disabled children may take up to 18 weeks’ leave.

Parental leave is unpaid.