You are entitled to return to the same job that you were employed in before you went on leave, and benefit from the same conditions as if you’d never been on leave, (unless a redundancy situation has arisen).
You are entitled to benefit from any general improvements to the rate of pay or other terms and conditions, which may have been introduced for your grade or class of work while you were away. This is the case if you took the paternity leave on its own, or linked it with other statutory leave such as annual leave or less than 4 weeks of parental leave.
However, if you choose to link your paternity leave period with, for example, a period of parental leave of more than 4 weeks then you are entitled to return to the job you were employed in before taking the leave, or, if that is not reasonably practicable, another job which is suitable and appropriate for you, and which has similar – and certainly not less favourable – terms and conditions attached.
