Paternity and co-parent leave procedure

1. Purpose and Scope

1.1 This procedure sets out guidance for employees who are entitled to paternity / co-parent leave. You should read it alongside our paternity / co-parent policy.

1.2 RoS recognises that, from time to time, employees may have questions or concerns relating to their paternity rights. It is RoS’ policy to encourage open discussion with employees to ensure that questions and problems can be resolved as quickly as possible.

2. Paternity / co-parent leave and pay

Ordinary, statutory paternity / co-parent leave and pay

2.1 RoS offers both ordinary (statutory) and occupational paternity / co-parent leave and pay to employees who meet the qualifying criteria.

2.2 Ordinary (statutory) paternity / co-parent leave provides employees with 2 weeks leave.

2.3 Occupational paternity / co-parent leave provides employees with an additional 2 weeks leave.

2.4 Both Ordinary (statutory) and occupational paternity / co-parent leave must be taken in either 1 week or 1,2,3 or 4 consecutive weeks.

2.5 You may be entitled to both ordinary (statutory) and RoS’s occupational paternity / co-parent pay if you have 26 weeks' continuous service by the end of the 15th week before the week in which your child is expected. In respect of an adopted child, you must have 26 weeks' continuous service by the week in which you are notified of having been matched with your child for adoption. This means that you will receive full pay for the time that you are on paternity leave (both during the period of ordinary (statutory) and occupational).

2.6 Should you not meet the qualifying criteria, your pay during ordinary and occupational paternity / co-parent leave will be at a rate set by the government for the relevant tax year, or at 90% of the employee's average weekly earnings, if this figure is lower than the government's set weekly rate.

2.7 However, employees whose average weekly earnings are below the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions will not be eligible for ordinary statutory paternity / co-parent pay.

2.8 Ordinary Statutory paternity / co-parent pay is treated as earnings and is therefore subject to tax and national insurance deductions.

2.9 Ordinary statutory paternity / co-parent pay can start from any day of the week in accordance with the date you start your paternity leave.

3. Time off for antenatal or adoption appointments

3.1 You are eligible to take paid time off to attend up to three antenatal or adoption appointments.

4. Notification of ordinary paternity leave

4.1 Where you wish to request ordinary paternity / co-parent leave, you must give your line manager 28 days (4 weeks) written notice of:

• the date on which your child is due to be born or adopted
• the length of ordinary paternity / co-parent leave you wish to take
• the date on which you wish the leave to commence.

You also need to complete application for paternity / co-parent leave form.

4.2 If you are adopting and are the parent who is opting for paternity / co-parent leave you must give written notice of your intention to take ordinary paternity / co-parent leave no later than seven days after the date on which notification of the match with your child was given by the adoption agency.

4.3 The notice must specify:

• the date your child is expected to be placed with you
• the length of the intended ordinary paternity / co-parent leave period
• the date you intend to start ordinary paternity / co-parent leave
• the date on which you were notified of having been matched with the child.

4.4 You need to use the first two weeks of paternity / co-parent leave within 52 weeks from the date of your child’s birth or adoption placement.

4.5 In the event the child is born early, within 52 weeks from the first day of the expected week of childbirth.

4.6 If you subsequently wish to change the timing of your ordinary paternity / co-parent leave, you must give 28 days' written notice of the new dates.

5. Approval and review

5.1 This policy will be reviewed and approved by the Strategic People Authority (SPA) annually, unless earlier review is appropriate.