Employed fathers (meeting certain conditions) are entitled to two weeks paid leave around the time of a child’s birth, or around the time a child is newly placed for adoption, to care for the child or support the mother. To qualify, the employee must have completed 26 weeks continuous service for the same employer by the 15th week before the baby is due (ie around the 25th week of pregnancy) and from the fifteenth week before the baby is due up to the date of birth. In other words, to qualify for paid paternity leave the employee must have worked continuously for the same employer for 41 weeks before the date of birth. A father must tell their employer by the 15th week before the baby is due if they want to take paternity leave, or they may not be able to take it. Employees must have, or expect to have, responsibility for the child’s upbringing, be the biological father of the child or the mother’s husband or partner. The leave must be taken in one block (not odd days nor two separate weeks) within the first 8 weeks of a child’s birth or placement for adoption. If the child is born early leave must be completed within the period from the actual date of birth up to 8 weeks after the expected week of birth. If the baby is born earlier than the fourteenth week before it is due and, but for the birth occurring early, the employee would have been employed continuously for the twenty six weeks, then he will be deemed to have the necessary length of service. Only one period of leave will be available to employees irrespective of whether more than one child is born as the result of the same pregnancy. Statutory Paternity Pay is currently paid at a rate of £117.18 per week or 90 per cent of average weekly earnings which ever is the lower amount.
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