Paternity Leave: Your Rights as a New Parent

You are entitled to statutory paternity leave if:

• ✓You are the biological father of the child, or the mother's spouse, civil partner, or partner
• ✓You have been continuously employed for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before the baby's expected due date (the 'qualifying week')
• ✓You will have main responsibility for the child's upbringing alongside the mother
• ✓For adoption: you must have been matched with a child and been employed for 26 weeks by the date of matching

Statutory paternity leave is one or two consecutive weeks, you cannot take it as odd days. You choose either one week or two weeks when you give notice.

• ✓Leave must be taken as a single block (you cannot split it)
• ✓It must start on or after the birth (not before)
• ✓It must end within 56 days of the birth (or the due date if the baby is early)
• ✓You choose when it starts: the day of birth, a specific number of days after, or a specific date

During paternity leave you receive Statutory Paternity Pay if you earn at least £129 per week (the Lower Earnings Limit). SPP is paid at:

• ✓£194.32 per week (2026/27 rate), or
• ✓90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower

If your employer offers enhanced paternity pay (contractual pay above SPP), that is a contractual right, check your employment contract. Many public sector employers and larger companies pay full salary for some or all of paternity leave.

You must notify your employer by the 15th week before the baby is due (or as soon as reasonably practicable). You need to tell them:

• ✓The baby's expected week of birth
• ✓Whether you want one week or two weeks
• ✓When you want the leave to start

While on paternity leave, you retain all your employment rights except your normal pay:

• ✓Annual leave continues to accrue at the full statutory and contractual rate
• ✓Pension contributions continue (employer must still contribute if you are in a workplace pension)
• ✓Your job is protected, you have the right to return to exactly the same role
• ✓You cannot be dismissed, selected for redundancy, or subjected to detriment because you took paternity leave
• ✓Keeping In Touch (KIT) days: you can work up to 10 KIT days during paternity leave without losing SPP, useful for attending important meetings

If you want more than two weeks with your new child, you and your partner can use Shared Parental Leave (SPL). This allows you to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of Shared Parental Pay between you.

• ✓The mother must end her maternity leave early to 'release' leave for SPL
• ✓You can take SPL as separate blocks (subject to employer agreement) or at the same time as your partner
• ✓Shared Parental Pay is paid at the same rate as SPP: £194.32/week or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower
• ✓Both partners must give the required notice (at least 8 weeks before each block)