Government announces plans for paternity leave

The government has published its response to Chapter One of the 2019 consultation on various proposals to support working families, announcing that it will make changes to Paternity Leave. The CBI responded to Chapters Two and Three of the consultation at the time, outlining our members’ belief that publishing flexible working and family-related policies can support inclusive workplaces. The government has now published a consultation response to chapter one, which announces that fathers will be able to take Paternity Leave in two separate blocks of one week of leave at any time in the first year.

As an employer, what do I need to know?

When parliamentary time allows, the government will amend employment law through secondary legislation to:

• Allow eligible fathers to take their Paternity Leave and Pay in two separate blocks of one week of leave (two weeks in total) at any point in the first year.
• Give employed fathers and partners the ability to take their leave at any time in the first year, rather than just in the first eight weeks after birth or placement for adoption.
• Change the notice requirements for Paternity Leave to make these more proportionate to the amount of time the father/parent plans to take off work. The government will cut the amount of notice from 15 weeks before the expected week of childbirth to 28 days before the leave will be taken.

Timelines for implementation are yet to be released. If you want to discuss family-friendly policies further, contact [email protected]