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Parental Leave
What is Parental Leave?
Parental leave is a right to take time off work to look after a child or make arrangements for the child's welfare. Parents can use it to spend more time with children and strike a better balance between their work and family commitments. An employee is entitled to take 13 weeks leave in respect of each child and 18 weeks in respect of each disabled child. The leave is unpaid.
Who can take parental leave?
- Employees who have a baby or adopt a child on or after 15 December 1999 and have completed one year's continuing employment with Bath Spa University by the time the leave is due to be taken.
- Both mothers and fathers are eligible.
When does parental leave have to be taken by?
- Children born or adopted on or after 15 December 1999: Either by the child's fifth birthday or in adoptive cases, by five years after the child is first placed with the family for adoption (or until the child's 18th birthday, which ever is sooner)
- Children with a disability: By the child's eighteenth birthday (for the purposes of parental leave, a disabled child is one for whom a disability living allowance has been awarded).
Procedure for Applying
All requests for parental leave must be made to the Director of Human Resources.
Key Elements
- Leave may be taken in blocks of one week upwards (one week's parental leave is equal to the length of time that an employee is normally required to work in a week, eg. If an employee normally works Monday and Tuesday, two days is equal to one week). This minimum period does not apply to a child with disabilities).
- A minimum of 21 days notice must be given.
- The University has the right to postpone leave for up to six months where the work of the University would be particularly disrupted should the leave be taken at the time requested.
- Employees may not take more than four week's leave in respect on any individual child during a particular leave year.
- Employees will be required to provide evidence of eligibility for the entitlement.