Fathers to get 5.5 months paid maternity leave


The Coalition government will announce today that new fathers are to be given the option to take longer off work, as part of a reform of how paternity leave is structured. Under the changes, fathers would be able to take as much five and a half months paid maternity leave.

At the moment, new mothers are entitled to one year off work receiving nine months pay, while their husbands are allowed two weeks of paid leave. The new reforms would work as follows:

  • Mothers automatically get 5 months paid leave
  • Fathers will get 6 weeks paid leave
  • A further seven months of leave will be available for the couple to split between them. Four of those months will be paid

This would give fathers the option to take up to five and a half months of paid leave after the birth of a new child, with a further three months of unpaid leave also available depending on how the couple decides to split the seven months of leave. Another option is for both parents to take off six months work each at the same time, with the majority of their joint leave being paid. Further flexibility is to be added by allowing the parents to take the allotted time off anytime during the first year of the life of the new child providing their employer is in agreement.

The announcement will be made as part of a "modern workplaces" consultation which will also look at issues of equal pay, sick pay, holiday pay, working from home, among other matters.

The changes to paternity leave could be in effect from April 2015, and will require new legislation to be introduced. David Frost, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce has criticised the proposals saying that they will "complicate the system" and are contrary to the government commitment to "reduce the burden of employment legislation on business."

If you are an employee or employer in Northern Ireland requiring legal advice on rights relating to paternity leave or any other matter, contact the employment law team at Wilson Nesbitt solicitors by email at employment@wilson-nesbitt.com .



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