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Work - paternity & emergency leave, working families

Details: Category: Legal Eagle

Paternity Leave

When your wife, partner or civil partner gives birth or adopts a child, you may be able to get Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) money that's paid by your employer to help you take time off work. It is conditional so it is worth checking out the rules as soon as you know you are expecting a baby. The DirectGov site provides clear guidance on Parental Leave and SPP.

Flexible working

If you have a child under six or a disabled child under 18 and have been continuously employed for 26 weeks, you have a statutory right to request flexible working. The Government intend to extend this right to parents who have a child aged 16 or under in April 2009. Under the law your employer must seriously consider any application you make, and only reject it if there are good business reasons for doing so. To find out whether you may be able to request flexible working (part-time, job share, staggered hours etc.) and improve your work-life balance, the DirectGov website has an interactive tool that can help.

Compassionate Leave

In many cases you have the right to take time off work to deal with an emergency involving someone who depends on you. You are allowed 'reasonable' time off to deal with the emergency and make any arrangements that are needed. For more information, see the Directgov website.

Parental Leave

Parental leave offers qualifying parents the right to take unpaid time off work to look after your child or make arrangements for their welfare. It can help you to spend more time with your child and strike a better balance between your work and family commitments. You can take a total of up 13 weeks' parental leave for each of your children up until their fifth birthday. To find out whether you are entitled to parental leave, see the DirectGov website.