People Experience and Culture Ordinary Parental Leave Policy
The law recognises, and we respect that there will be occasions when working parents wish to take time off to be with their child/children for various reasons and to balance the demands of work and family life.
This policy sets out the statutory rights of employees who wish to take parental leave.
Eligible employees may be able to benefit from up to 18 weeks unpaid parental leave provided they meet certain criteria and adhere to specific requirements.
The University may postpone the period of leave in certain circumstances but employees have the right to appeal against the postponement decision.
The policy should be read in conjunction with the parental leave procedure, which gives further explanation of entitlements.
People Experience and Culture Ordinary Parental Leave Procedure
1. General Parental Leave Details
This procedure outlines your statutory entitlements to parental leave and the procedures to follow in order to assist you. This procedure applies to all employees of the University.
Having read this procedure you are welcome to contact a member of the Human Resources Department (HRD) to discuss any queries you may have in relation to your parental leave.
2. Eligibility
You are entitled to up to 18 weeks unpaid leave per child if you have at least 1 years continuous service and you meet one of the following conditions:
1) You are the parent of a child under 18 years of age
2) You have adopted a child under the age of 18
3) You have acquired formal parental responsibility for a child who is under 18 years old
AND you have not exceeded your entitlement to parental leave with another employer.
3. Length and Timing of Parental Leave
Both parents have a right to take up to 18 weeks unpaid leave in respect of each qualifying child, for any purpose connected with the care of that child. Leave taken with all previous employers counts towards this total.
The leave must be taken by your child’s 18th birthday.
The leave need not be taken as one continuous period but should be taken in blocks of at least one week. One week’s parental leave is equal to the length of time that you are normally required to work in a week. Where your working pattern varies from week to week, an average week is calculated. Leave can be taken one day at a time if your child is disabled.
A maximum of four weeks’ parental leave can be taken in a year in respect of any individual child. However, you may request an 18 week block of parental leave if this follows on from your maternity or adoption leave.
4. Notification Requirements
You will be required to inform your line manager of your intention to take parental leave at least 21 days before commencing your leave (unless this is not reasonably practicable).
You will need to provide evidence of your entitlement* and tell your line manager:
- When you want your leave to start
- When you intend to return to work
You will be able to change your mind about the date on which you want your leave to start providing you tell your line manager at least 28 days in advance (unless this is not reasonably practicable).
*Evidence of entitlement includes a birth certificate, evidence of the date on which placement for adoption began, evidence of your parental responsibility. or details of the child’s entitlement to disability living allowance You may also be asked for details of parental leave taken with another employer.
5. Postponement of Leave
The University may postpone parental 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. Parental leave cannot be postponed when you give notice to take it immediately after the time your child is born or is placed with you for adoption however.
Your line manager, in conjunction with the Director of Human Resources, will discuss the matter with you and confirm the postponement arrangements in writing within one week of your application to take leave. The notice will state the reason for the postponement and set out the new dates for your parental leave which will be within 6 months of the originally requested dates.
The length of leave will be equivalent to your original request.
6. Appeal
You have the right of appeal against a postponement decision. This appeal should be lodged in writing to the Director of Human Resources no later than one week following notification of the decision. The notice should include the grounds of appeal.
A member of the University Executive will consider the appeal and his/her decision will be final. The outcome of the appeal will be notified to you in writing within one week of receipt of the written appeal.
7. Status of Contract of Employment during Parental Leave
Your contract of employment remains in force during parental leave, but only in relation to:
- The notice which must be given to terminate the contract
- Compensation for redundancy dismissal
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures
- Your duty not to disclose confidential information
- The right to accrue statutory annual leave entitlement
8. Return to Work after Parental Leave
At the end of parental leave, you will be entitled to return to the same job, provided that the leave was for a period of four weeks or less (and did not follow on immediately from a period of maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental leave which amounted to 26 weeks or more in aggregate). If the period of parental leave was longer than four weeks (or followed on immediately from a period of maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental leave which amounted to 26 weeks or more in aggregate) you will be entitled to return to the same job or, if that is not practicable, to a similar job that has the same or better status, terms and conditions as the previous job.
9. Protection from Detriments and Dismissal
You will be protected from suffering unfair treatment or dismissal for taking, or seeking to take, parental leave. If you believe you have been treated unfairly, you should, in the first instance, refer to the University Grievance Procedure.
10. Notes
Parental leave is in addition to the right to take maternity, adoption or paternity leave.
Parental leave should not be confused with Shared Parental Leave which is a different scheme, details of which can be found on the HR policy intranet page.
Unpaid leave of more than 30 days does not count as reckonable service for pension purposes.