Policy 26: Paternity Leave Policy

PATERNITY LEAVE POLICY

Qualification

Paternity leave and paternity pay are available to employees who are the father of a newborn child or the spouse or partner of the mother, or an adoptive parent.

For births or adoption placements before 6 April 2026, you will only qualify for paternity leave if you have 26 weeks’ continuous service, either ending with the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth or ending the week in which the agency notified you have been matched with a child. This qualifying period does not apply to births where the baby is due on or after 5 April 2026 but is born prematurely, or in any case where the mother or primary adopter has died.

Adopted children; paternity leave and pay applies to employees who receive notice from an approved adoption agency that a match with a child (under 18) has been made and placement started on or after 6 April 2024.

Paternity leave is available to you if you:

• are the biological father of the child or the mother’s husband or partner or one of the adoptive parents; and
• have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing; and
• give appropriate notification to the Company; and
• give the Company a self-certificate to support your entitlement to paternity leave.

You cannot take both adoption leave and paternity leave in respect of the same child. Therefore if adopting a child as a couple – it is up to you to decide who will take adoption leave and who will take paternity leave.

Duration of Leave

Up to 2 weeks’ leave can be taken.

The leave can be taken as two consecutive weeks, or two non-consecutive blocks of one week. Only one period of leave is available, irrespective of whether more than one child is born at the same time. Therefore, if twins are born, your entitlement is still up to 2 weeks’ leave and not four weeks.

When Leave can be Taken

You can choose to start your leave:

• from the date of the child’s birth (or date of placement in adoption cases); or
• from a chosen number of days or weeks after the date of the child’s birth or placement; or
• from a chosen date.

The leave must be completed within the first year following birth or adoption, except when the child is born prematurely in which case the leave must be taken within the 52 weeks following the EWC.

Notification

You must inform the Company of your intention to take paternity leave at least 15 weeks before the EWC. You must give at least 28 days notice before the date you would like to take each period of leave. As an exception to this, if your expected week of childbirth falls between 5 April and 25 July 2026 and you had less than 26 weeks’ continuous employment at the end of the 15th week for the expected week of childbirth, 28 days’ notice can be given before the date you would like to start paternity leave in order to qualify for paternity leave. For adoption cases, you must notify the Company within 7 days of having been notified that a child will be placed for adoption.

Your notification should specify how much leave you intend to take and when you intend the leave to begin. Should your plans change you need to give the Company 28 days notice of any revision.

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)

SPP is payable during paternity leave, provided you have at least 26 weeks' continuous employment ending with the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth or the week in which the adoption agency notified you of a match, and your average earnings are not less than the lower earnings limit set by the government each tax year. Paternity leave is payable at the statutory rate, which is subject to change every year, or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).