Paternity pay and leave
Leave
Paternity leave
The amount of leave you can take depends on when your baby is due.
If the baby is due before or on 6 April 2024, or before 6 April 2024 for adoptions
You can choose to take either 1 or 2 weeks’ leave. You must take your leave in one go. You get the same amount of leave even if you have more than one child (for example, twins).
A week of leave is the same amount of days that you normally work in a week. For example, if you only work on Mondays and Tuesdays, then a week of leave is 2 days.
Your leave cannot start before the birth. It must end within 56 days of the birth (or due date, if the baby is early). The start and end date rules are different if you adopt.
You must give your employer 28 days’ notice if you want to change your start date.
You do not have to give a precise date when you want to take leave. Instead you can give a general time, such as the day of the birth or one week after the birth.
If the baby is due after 6 April 2024, or on or after 6 April 2024 for adoptions
You can take either 1 or 2 weeks’ leave. If you choose to take 2 weeks, you can take them together or separately. You get the same amount of leave even if you have more than one child (for example, twins).
A week of leave is the same amount of days that you normally work in a week. For example, if you only work on Mondays and Tuesdays, then a week of leave is 2 days.
Your leave cannot start before the birth. It must end within 52 weeks of the birth (or due date, if the baby is early). The start and end dates rules are different if you adopt.
You must give your employer 28 days’ notice if you want to change your start date.
You do not have to give a precise date when you want to take leave. Instead you can give a general time, such as the day of the birth or one week after the birth.
There are different rules if you live in Northern Ireland.
Shared Parental Leave
You may also be eligible for Shared Parental Leave (SPL). You cannot take Paternity Leave after you take SPL.
Leave for antenatal appointments
You can take unpaid leave to accompany a pregnant woman to 2 antenatal appointments if you’re:
- the baby’s father
- the expectant mother’s spouse or civil partner
- in a long-term relationship with the expectant mother
- the intended parent (if you’re having a baby through a surrogacy arrangement)
You can take up to 6 and a half hours per appointment. Your employer can choose to give you longer.
You can apply for leave immediately if you’re a permanent employee. You’ll need to have been doing a job for 12 weeks before you qualify if you’re an agency worker.
Leave for adoption appointments
You can take unpaid leave to attend 2 adoption appointments after you’ve been matched with a child.
You can take up to 6 and a half hours per appointment. Your employer can choose to give you longer.
You can apply for leave immediately if you’re a permanent employee. You’ll need to have been doing a job for 12 weeks before you qualify if you’re an agency worker.