This article outlines the rights of parents in the UK to take unpaid leave to care for their children. It covers the duration, eligibility, and permissible reasons for taking parental leave.
Parents are entitled to take 18 extra weeks off work in order to look after their child. Mums, dads and legal guardians are legally entitled to take more time off for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday. The rule, called parental leave , is bound by certain requirements but is the right of everyone in employment. Most people know you’re entitled to statutory family leave if your child is sick.
However lesser known reasons include looking around for schools or taking them to see grandparents. Conditions of parental leave means it can only be used for specific reasons and the time off is unpaid (unless stated otherwise in your contract). Under the government-backed unpaid leave rules, the limit on how much parental leave each parent can take in a year is four weeks for each child. Parents must also take it as whole weeks, rather than individual days, unless your employer agrees otherwise or if your child is disabled. However you don’t have to take all the leave at once. The Gov.UK website reads: 'An employee is entitled to 18 weeks. If they’ve used 10 with a previous employer, they can use up to eight weeks with their new employer if they’re eligible .' It adds: 'If an employee works 3 days a week, one ‘week’ of parental leave equals 3 days. If an employee works irregular weeks the number of days in a ‘week’ is the total number of days they work a year divided by 52.' The Government stresses on its www.gov.uk website: 'Eligible employees can take unpaid parental leave to look after their child’s welfare. For example to spend more time with their children, look at new schools, settle children into new childcare arrangements, spend more time with family, such as visiting grandparents.' To be eligible for parental leave you must: Employers can ask for proof (like a birth certificate) as long as it’s reasonable to do so. Parental leave must be taken a week at a time but you don’t have to take it all at onc
Parental Leave UK Laws Family Rights Childcare Unpaid Leave
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