Our Paternity Policy outlines when an employee may be entitled to paternity leave and paternity pay, and sets out the arrangements for taking it. You may be entitled to time off to accompany your partner to antenatal appointments or to attend adoption appointments. For more information see Antenatal/Adoption policy.
In some
Entitlement to Paternity Leave
You are entitled to Paternity Leave on the birth of a child if you have been continuously employed by us for at least 26 weeks, ending with the 15th week before the Expected Week of Childbirth and are either:
(a) The biological father and will have some responsibility for the child’s upbringing; or
(b) The spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner of the biological mother and will have the main responsibility (with the mother) for the child’s upbringing.
Paternity Leave is also available where a child is placed with you for adoption by an adoption
Taking Paternity Leave
You are entitled to take up to two weeks’ consecutive Paternity Leave, which must be taken within 56 days of the birth of the child or when the child is placed with you for adoption. (If the baby is premature the period ends eight weeks after the start of the Expected Week of Childbirth.)
Application for Paternity Leave must be made in writing to your Line Manager (cc HR) by the end of the 15th week before the Expected Week of Childbirth (or no more than seven days after the adoption agency notified you of being matched with a child) or as soon as you reasonably can. This letter must confirm your status for qualification, the Expected Week of Childbirth or date when the child is to be placed with you for adoption and the intended dates of your Paternity Leave (i.e. whether you intend to take one week or two weeks’ leave and when you would like your leave to start). You can change the intended start date by giving us 28 days’ notice or, if this is not possible, as much notice as you can.
Paternity Pay
During your Paternity Leave, you will qualify for Company Paternity Pay (CPP), which is paid at a rate of your normal basic pay, less any Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) to which you are entitled. The rate of SPP is set by the Government each tax year.
During Paternity Leave
All the usual terms and conditions of your employment remain in force during your Paternity Leave except for terms relating to pay.
Holiday entitlement will continue to accrue during your Paternity Leave. If your Paternity Leave continues into the next holiday year, any holiday entitlement that cannot reasonably be taken before starting your Paternity Leave or immediately following it may be carried over, but if carried over it must be taken within three months of returning to work unless your Line Manager agrees otherwise. Please discuss your holiday plans with your Line Manager in good time before starting your Paternity Leave. All holiday dates are subject to approval by your Line Manager.
As a member of the T&H Group Personal Pension Scheme, we shall make employer pension contributions during your Paternity Leave based on your usual salary, in accordance with the pension scheme rules. Any employee contributions you make will be based on the amount of CPP you are receiving.
Last updated: 07/03/19
