Focus on: Father’s employment rights

When family friendly employment rights are being considered, much of the focus falls on the rights of mothers. However, fathers have many workplace rights too. And not just the biological parent, the law extends the same ‘dad rights’ to the mother’s husband, partner or civil partner. (Going forward, for the purpose of this blog, we’ll group all these family members under the term ‘fathers’).

It’s important for businesses to understand and promote these rights. Here we give you a rundown of some of the most important ones.

What rights do fathers have?

1. Unpaid leave to attend antenatal appointments

Fathers have the right to unpaid time off to attend up to two antenatal appointments. Up to six and a half hours off work is allowed per appointment.

2. Paternity leave and pay

Fathers who have been employed for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15^th week before the baby is due, are entitled to take up to two weeks paternity leave in the 52 weeks following the baby’s birth. This can be taken in two one-week blocks or one two-week block. This leave is paid at a flat rate which is currently £184.03 per week (or 90% of normal pay if this is lower).

3. Shared parental leave

Shared Parental Leave allows parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between them during the child’s first year. Fathers can take this time off in blocks or all at once, facilitating a balanced approach to caregiving and career commitments. Eligibility requires continuous employment for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth, and the mother must also be eligible for maternity leave or pay.

4. Parental leave

All parents are entitled to up to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave for each child up to their 18th birthday. This leave can be taken in blocks of one week, up to a maximum of four weeks per year, per child. This right is designed to help parents spend more time with their children during critical stages of their development.

5. The right to time off for dependants

Employees may need to take time off work to care for dependants (including children) when unexpected events occur. This right applies to both parents. Any time off is unpaid.

6. Parental bereavement leave

An employee can take 2 weeks’ leave for each child under 18 who has died or was stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The leave must be taken within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth. Pay is the same as for paternity leave: currently £184.03 per week (or 90% of normal pay if this is lower).

7. Flexible working

All employees have the right to request flexible working arrangements from day one of employment. This can include changes to working hours, patterns, or locations. Employers must consult on requests and can only refuse them on certain listed business grounds.

If your business is going the extra mile for employees by offering enhanced rights, it’s worth highlighting these to them.

Useful links

• Check your parental rights at work – Citizens Advice
• Parental rights and responsibilities: What is parental responsibility? – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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