All employees may take up to 2 weeks’ paid leave, which will be paid at the prevailing Statutory Paternity Pay rate, after their baby is born (or child adopted) provided they give notice of the intention to take Paternity Leave no later than the 15^th week before the expected week of childbirth (or date of adoption) and specify the length of the period of leave to be taken. This leave must be taken within eight weeks of the birth (or adoption) of the child and may not be postponed by JTL.

Eligible employees in this case includes the child’s biological father, or those employees who are married to or are the partner of the child’s mother. This will include female employees if they are the partner of the child’s mother and also have the main responsibility (apart from any responsibility of the mother) for the upbringing of the child.

Employees should note that Paternity Leave must be taken as a single block of either one or two weeks. Employees may not take two non-consecutive weeks of Paternity Leave and this consideration should be borne in mind by all eligible employees when making a request for Paternity Leave.

OCCUPATIONAL PATERNITY PAY

Employees with at least 1 year’s continuous service at the 11^th week before the week the baby is due will be entitled to 2 weeks Occupational Paternity Pay, at full pay. 

 Employees with less than 1 year’s continuous service will be entitled to pay at the statutory rate.

Further details about statutory entitlements are available from the Human Resources Department and online at www.directgov.co.uk.