Changes to paternity leave announced for 2024
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Changes to paternity leave announced for 2024
2024 looks like it is going to be a busy year for changes to employment laws and changes to existing paternity legislation are currently making their way through Parliament.
The draft regulations, known as the Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024, are intended to make changes to how statutory entitlement to paternity leave is managed.
In particular, there will be changes to:
- the notice requirements;
- the timeframe within which leave must be taken; and
- the need for paternity leave to be taken in a single block will be removed.
What do these changes mean for paternity leave?
Currently, eligible fathers and partners can take either one or two consecutive weeks of paid paternity leave after the birth or adoption of a child. The leave must all be taken at the same time, so if a father/partner takes just one week of paternity leave they aren’t able to take the other week at another time and will lose the right to it. Additionally, leave must be taken within the first eight weeks of a child’s birth or adoption placement.
The draft Regulations seek to amend the current position by allowing those eligible to:
- have more flexibility by taking the leave in either a two-week block or in two separate one-week blocks, which do not have to be taken consecutively;
- have longer to take their leave, as they propose to allow fathers or partners to take their leave within the first year after the birth or adoption of their child; and
- take the leave with less notice by shortening the notice period required for each block of leave to four weeks.
When will these changes come into effect?
It is anticipated that these changes will take effect on 8 March 2024. They will apply to babies expected to be born after the week commencing 6 April 2024 and will apply to children whose expected date of adoption/entry to the country is on or after 6 April 2024.
If you need any advice or support in around paternity leave or generally, please contact a member of the Employment team.