Purpose and Scope
This policy sets out how [Organisation Name] handles adoption leave and pay. It covers eligible employees adopting a child through a recognized adoption agency, adopting from overseas, or becoming parents through surrogacy, under statutory frameworks including the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our Annual Leave Policy, Bereavement Leave Policy and Maternity Leave Policy.
Policy Statement
[Organisation Name] gives the same protection and support to employees on adoption leave as those on maternity leave. We do not tolerate unfavourable treatment of any employee who plans, requests, or takes adoption leave, in line with the Equality Act 2010. Managers must plan operational cover accordingly.
Eligibility and Leave Options
- If a couple adopts jointly, only one partner can take adoption leave for the placement. The couple chooses who takes adoption leave. The other partner may qualify for paternity or shared parental leave.
- Intended parents in qualifying surrogacy arrangements may also qualify for adoption leave and pay.
- [Role] confirms eligibility and specific requirements once they receive formal notification.
Notification Procedure
- Notify [Role] within [Number] days of receiving formal notice of a child match from the adoption agency. Include official evidence, such as a matching certificate.
- Submit notice of your intended leave start date by the statutory deadline through [Form/System].
- Expect written confirmation of your leave dates and expected return date from [Organisation Name] within [Number] days of submitting notice.
- For overseas adoptions or surrogacy, contact [Role] as early as possible to confirm rules, required paperwork, and notice periods.
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Time Off for Adoption Appointments
- Employees have a statutory right to time off for adoption appointments arranged by the agency after a match.
- Book appointments through [Role/System] with as much advance notice as possible.
Adoption Leave and Pay
- Adoption leave covers both ordinary adoption leave and additional adoption leave. Eligible employees receive statutory adoption pay for the set statutory duration.
- If [Organisation Name] offers enhanced adoption pay, terms match the organisation’s enhanced maternity pay policy. If there is no enhanced scheme, standard statutory pay rates apply.
- Annual leave accrues throughout the full adoption leave period.
Keeping in Touch and Returning to Work
- Contact during leave, keeping-in-touch (KIT) days, and return-to-work management follow our standard maternity and family leave policies.
- Employees returning from ordinary adoption leave go back to their same job. Employees returning from additional adoption leave return to the same job or, if that is not reasonably practicable, a suitable equivalent.
- Submit requests to change working hours or arrangements upon return under the organisation’s flexible working policy.
Records and Review
- We securely store all matching certificates, official notices, written confirmations, and payroll records in [System/Location] per our data retention policy.
- Policy Owner: [Role]
- Review Cycle: [Frequency] or when underlying statutory regulations change.
- Next Review Date: [Date]
FAQs on Adoption Leave Policy
What is an adoption leave policy?
An adoption leave policy sets out how your organisation handles adoption leave and pay. It covers eligible employees adopting a child through a recognized adoption agency, adopting from overseas, or becoming parents through surrogacy, under statutory frameworks including the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does an adoption leave policy include?
This template covers eligibility and leave options, notification procedure, time off for adoption appointments and adoption leave and pay.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement an adoption leave policy with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.
