What is parental leave?

The law allows working parents, or others with a formal parental responsibility, who have worked for their current employer for at least 12 months, up to 13 weeks’ leave for each child up to the age of five. If the child is adopted, then the entitlement is for 13 weeks’ leave until the 5th anniversary of the child’s placement with the adoptive parents or the child’s 18th birthday whichever is sooner. In the case of disabled children, parents are entitled to 18 weeks’ leave until the child’s 18th birthday.

Leave must be taken in blocks of one week, unless the child is disabled in which case leave can be taken in blocks of less than one week including one day, for up to four weeks per year.

The leave is unpaid unless your employment contract states otherwise, and your employer can insist that you give 21 days’ notice of your intention to take leave. Your leave entitlement is per child, so if you have more than one child who matches the criteria above, then you are entitled to more leave.

If you are returning from parental leave of four weeks or less, then you have the right to return to your original job. In other cases, if your original job is no longer available, then you are entitled to a similar job with at least the same status and conditions.

Some employers will provide a better entitlement than the legal minimum, including allowing employees to take parental leave in longer or shorter blocks and paying for part or all of your parental leave, so you should check your terms and conditions