Purpose
This policy outlines how [Organisation Name] administers statutory paternity leave and pay under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Equality Act 2010.
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our Adoption Leave Policy, Annual Leave Policy and Bereavement Leave Policy.
Scope
This policy applies to all eligible [Organisation Name] employees who are the biological father of a child, the partner of an individual giving birth, or an adoptive or surrogacy parent who meets statutory criteria.
Policy Statement
[Organisation Name] encourages eligible employees to take their full statutory paternity leave. Taking leave will not affect an employee’s pay, performance evaluation, or career progression. Managers must arrange operational cover; they cannot ask employees to cut short or cancel leave. We apply this policy consistently, regardless of sex or route to parenthood.
Eligibility
- Statutory paternity leave and pay eligibility depends on your relationship to the child and primary caregiver, length of service, and average earnings.
- [Role] verifies these statutory criteria when you submit a request.
- Employees who do not qualify can speak with [Role] to arrange alternative leave, such as annual or unpaid leave.
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Notification Procedure
- Notify [Role] as early as possible so managers can plan cover.
- Submit formal notice through [Form/System] by the statutory deadline. State the expected week of childbirth or adoption match date and your intended leave dates.
- [Role] reviews the request and sends written confirmation of the leave dates and pay details within [Number] days.
- Notify [Role] promptly if the birth or placement date changes so we can adjust your leave dates.
Leave and Pay Provisions
- Take statutory paternity leave in whole-week blocks. You can split these into separate blocks within the statutory period following the birth or placement.
- Leave cannot start before the child’s birth or formal placement date.
- Contractual terms and conditions remain in place during leave, except for basic remuneration, and annual leave continues to accrue.
- We pay statutory paternity pay at the standard statutory rate. Your employment terms document any enhanced paternity pay offered by [Organisation Name].
Interaction with Other Leave Types
- Shared Parental Leave: Paternity leave runs separately from shared parental leave. Review the sequencing guidelines before booking if you plan to take both.
- Antenatal and Adoption Appointments: Statutory rules grant time off for designated antenatal or adoption appointments. Coordinate schedule needs directly with [Role].
- Dependant Care: Handle unexpected emergencies involving a child after returning to work under our Time Off for Dependants Policy.
Records and Review
- [System/Location] securely stores all statutory notices, written confirmations, and payment records.
- We review this policy [Frequency] or whenever relevant laws change.
- Policy Owner: [Role]
- Next Review Date: [Date]
FAQs on Paternity Leave Policy
What is a paternity leave policy?
A paternity leave policy outlines how your organisation administers statutory paternity leave and pay under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Equality Act 2010.
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 a paternity leave policy include?
This template covers eligibility, notification procedure, leave and pay provisions and interaction with other leave types.
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 a paternity 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.
