Paternity leave

DonDaddyD
DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
edited August 2011 in Commuting chat
How's it work?

What do you get?

Do you get to go immediately when the baby is born?

The real question:

Did you take Paternity leave, how long, would you have taken longer? How did you find it?
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Comments

  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    I got two weeks on full-pay, then it would have dropped to a miserly level. Guess how much I took?
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    Can you add on your annual leave?

    Have new laws been passed to increase the paternity leave entitlement for fathers?
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  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Probably, it got better with each child we had. The last one was five years ago, so my info probably isn't up to date. This was in addition to my annual leave, so I could have used holidays as well to add on. After the first two weeks, though, you'll be so knackered you'll be dying to get to work for some kip. :wink:
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  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    With the first child it was mainly spent frantically clearing up the flat from a flood before exchanging contracts on a sale.

    The second one was mainly spent watching TdF stages and trying to stop the first child sitting on the baby.

    It's the quickest 2 weeks off work you'll ever have, that's for sure. I expect every empoyer differs on what the rules are, ask your HR department. I just emailed my boss and said "baby's here, see you in 2 weeks" and he said "fine". Paid as usual.
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  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    Being self employed I took a week whilst the little one was in hospital then went back to work for two weeks and then took three weeks off.
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  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    You normally get two weeks, starting from when you send the "Won't be in the office today, baby coming out" text message to your manager...
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  • snooks
    snooks Posts: 1,521
    edited August 2011
    Check with your employer

    Fill in this form and give it to your HR

    Usually it's two weeks full pay. With no holiday allowed near SPL. It must be taken before the 56th day after the DOB, and can't start before the birth, and must be taken in one lump, but some companies are more flexible that others.
    HMRC has all the info

    Also look into whether your company offers APL - Additional Paternity Leave - Basically it gives the father the option of taken any maternity leave not used up by the mother.

    So if (the to be) Mrs DDD takes 9 months off, you'd be allowed to take off 3 months unpaid.

    Doesn't sound great does it? But if Mrs DDD gets holiday entitlement during her maternity leave, she could (in theory) "return" to work for the amount of days holiday she has, (without physically returning to work) and you could take that many days off unpaid.

    Obviously if Mrs DDD doesn't get any holiday entitlement you'll be left holding the baby :)

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  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    you get 2 weeks off with statutory paternity pay (about £126 a week) I think but your employer may elect to pay you more. Thankfully my employer paid full whack for both weeks. I think you have to take this within 6 months of birth. Of course most people take at least one week when the baby is born. That is when you are most required by wifey.

    You are then entitled to take 13 weeks UNPAID leave within the first 5 years of childs life as PARENTAL LEAVE.

    I haven't taken any unpaid leave yet but a good chunk of my holiday entitlement was taken around the first couple of months.
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  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    snooks wrote:
    Obviously if Mrs DDD doesn't get any holiday entitlement you'll be left holing the baby :)

    Generally speaking you should try to avoid holing the baby
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  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    at least your own, anyway.
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  • ince
    ince Posts: 289
    Do you have family around? Mother/Mother in Law etc. I found that the boss had so much help in the first week at home my time off was a little wasted. For the second child the ML was around for the first week so I delayed taking the time off until I was needed and of some use.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    DDD, do you not have any kind of HR where you work?! :lol:
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  • zenistar
    zenistar Posts: 75
    Don't know about the uk anymore, it's too long since I lived there, but I will be getting a week when my littlun is born in November, then I have a month of holiday saved up to take on top.
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  • bluehelmet
    bluehelmet Posts: 156
    edited August 2011
    As above the statutory is either 1 or 2 weeks (you can choose either) at stat. pay levels or if your employer is nice: full pay (mine wasn't).

    I think we can now share their maternity leave as well. At least this is what the mrs has told me, have yet to spring it on my employers I might be off for another month at some point...

    Jr now 14 weeks old and they've flown by (except for the 3am feeds / random grumbles). He's constantly kicking his legs so obviously wants to get on a bike as soon as possible... :D

    EDIT: read this: http://www.businesszone.co.uk/blogs/job ... ntal-leave
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    Ours offers 2 weeks: 1 at full pay the second is statutory... not many people take 2 weeks
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  • FoldingJoe
    FoldingJoe Posts: 1,327
    Yes, I think the laws have changed with regards splitting Maternity\Paternity leave.

    I think the legal minimum requirement your company has to give you is one week at full pay, and one week at statutory pay, which as mentioned above is around £120 i.e. nothing!!

    Oh, to work in Scandinavia at those times!!!
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  • FoldingJoe
    FoldingJoe Posts: 1,327
    edited August 2011
    Double Post
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  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    Clever Pun wrote:
    Ours offers 2 weeks: 1 at full pay the second is statutory... not many people take 2 weeks
    That's what we get. Only took one week but in hindsight should have gone for two...as a cushion for the many months of sleep deprivation that was to follow!
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    I didn't really get all this sleep deprivation - just demanded the missus breast fed and she had to do all the night feeds. I slept in the spare room. Bingo.
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  • NGale
    NGale Posts: 1,866
    clarkey cat wrote:
    I didn't really get all this sleep deprivation - just demanded the missus breast fed and she had to do all the night feeds. I slept in the spare room. Bingo.

    Jake is under no illusions that he will die if he doesn't go his fair share of getting up during the night if we have kids.

    Me and lack of sleep is not a pretty sight :shock:
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  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    I'm bullshitting of course - THEY slept in the spare room.
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    bails87 wrote:
    DDD, do you not have any kind of HR where you work?! :lol:

    NHS HR department. I've even read the policy. Advice here is more helpful and concise in terms of pointers.
    Do you have family around? Mother/Mother in Law etc. I found that the boss had so much help in the first week at home my time off was a little wasted. For the second child the ML was around for the first week so I delayed taking the time off until I was needed and of some use.

    For at least 48hrs (probably 24hrs) we won't be accepting visitors. But yeah, that's a good point!
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  • shouldbeinbed
    shouldbeinbed Posts: 2,660
    Not read the full thread so apols if repeating someone. You might do well to hang on a day or two until yr mrs comes home
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    When my 2 year old was born I took 2 weeks and had a couple of weeks on the sick. The first week of that was at full pay (and called maternity support leave) and the second was at the statutory rate.

    When my 4 month old was born I just took the one week maternity support and a week of annual leave.
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  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Paternity leave. :lol: Yeah, right.

    One week off after the first, two weeks after the second was born. All taken as holiday.
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  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    bails87 wrote:
    DDD, do you not have any kind of HR where you work?! :lol:

    NHS HR department. I've even read the policy. Advice here is more helpful and concise in terms of pointers.
    Do you have family around? Mother/Mother in Law etc. I found that the boss had so much help in the first week at home my time off was a little wasted. For the second child the ML was around for the first week so I delayed taking the time off until I was needed and of some use.

    For at least 48hrs (probably 24hrs) we won't be accepting visitors. But yeah, that's a good point!

    Min 48 hrs - you have never been as tired as you are after the birth - both of you.
  • Drysuitdiver
    Drysuitdiver Posts: 474
    being able to take paternity depends on a minimum length of service with the company at X anmount of weeks before the baby arrives. our 2nd arrived early and i missed the date by a few days. HR were nice enough though and paid me the 2 weeks.
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  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    No paternity at my current employment which is sh!te. Took a few days leave and WFH the rest.

    Was great though as I got to watch the last 2 weeks of the TdF this year!
  • medoramas
    medoramas Posts: 202
    I had two weeks 2,5 years ago. Statutory pay... Took it with 2 weeks of my normal annual leave, so it was nice (but busy) time off. :)
  • hmbadger
    hmbadger Posts: 181
    ince wrote:
    Do you have family around? Mother/Mother in Law etc. I found that the boss had so much help in the first week at home my time off was a little wasted. For the second child the ML was around for the first week so I delayed taking the time off until I was needed and of some use.

    +1. Did the same.

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