Paternity leave and pay (for births/adoptions before 6 April 2024) - line manager training

Author: Lynda Macdonald

Introduction

This training guide examines the law and best practice on paternity leave and pay, including eligibility to take paternity leave, employees' rights during and after paternity leave, and the choices available to employees with regard to the scheduling of paternity leave.

This guide discusses employees' rights to paternity leave and pay where:

• the expected week of childbirth is before 7 April 2024; or
• the expected date of placement for adoption (or entry into Great Britain for adoptions from overseas) is before 6 April 2024.

For a training guide that reflects the rights of employees to paternity leave and pay on or after those dates, see Paternity leave (for births/adoptions from 6 April 2024).

It should be noted that the rights and duties discussed in this training are the minimum statutory rights and duties. Employers may offer their employees contractual entitlements over and above the minimum statutory rights. Employees' contractual terms may therefore be the source of further rights and duties that you as a line manager will be required to take into account.

Paternity leave should not be confused with ordinary parental leave. Employees who are parents and have at least one year's service have the right to take up to 18 weeks' unpaid ordinary parental leave before their child's 18th birthday. Ordinary parental leave is available to both parents in respect of each qualifying child.