Family Leave - Paternity

You might come across some terms which you’re unfamiliar with whilst reviewing this policy. To help, we’ve summarised these key terms for your reference:

Am I entitled to time off work to attend antenatal appointments?

Yes, if you are the baby’s biological father, or if you are the expectant mother’s husband or partner (regardless of gender) and expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing.

What time off work am I entitled to? Will this be paid?

We offer paid leave for up to 5 antenatal appointments, where these fall within your working hours. Please give your line manager as much notice of these appointments as possible. We may request a signed statement from you confirming that:

• You are eligible to attend the appointment;
• The time off is solely to accompany the expectant mother to the appointment; and
• A doctor, midwife or nurse has advised that the expectant mother needs or would benefit from the appointment.

Subject to the above, reasonable paid time off work will be granted to allow you to travel to and attend the appointment(s). Depending on the arrangements for the appointment, you may be required to attend work prior to / after the appointment. To attend any further appointments, you will need to request time off work as holiday or unpaid leave from your line manager.

Am I entitled to paternity leave?

Yes, if you have 26 weeks continuous service with us at the Qualifying Week. You must also have one of the following relationships to the mother / baby:

• Be the biological father and share responsibility with the mother for the child’s upbringing; or
• Be the mother’s husband or partner (regardless of gender) and expect to share the main responsibility (with the mother) for the child’s upbringing.

How much time off am I entitled to?

You are entitled to take a maximum of two weeks paternity leave from the day the baby is born to support the mother and / or take care of the child. You can choose to take two consecutive weeks or two separate periods of one week (but you cannot take odd days). It must be taken within 52 weeks of the child’s birth (or due date, if the baby is early).  Subject to eligibility, you and your partner might also consider Shared Parental Leave as an option. This effectively enables your partner to share their leave (Maternity or Adoption) with you.

If you are expecting more than one baby or are adopting more than one child as part of the same adoption arrangements, your entitlement to paternity leave and pay is the same (as if you were only expecting one baby or adopting one child).

How do I request paternity leave?

Please notify us of your intention to take paternity leave by no later than 15 weeks before the Expected Week of Confinement via Zellis Employee Self Service (Your Family Leave > Notice of Paternity Leave). Thereafter, you need to provide us with 28 days notice for any period of paternity leave that you want to take, whether this is for two consecutive weeks or just one. You can do this via Zellis Employee Self Service (Your Family Leave > Paternity Leave Request). You can subsequently change these dates, again by providing 28 days notice. If you would like to speak with somebody prior to submitting these forms, you can have a chat with your line manager or contact the People Team.

What do I do if I’m not entitled to paternity leave?

Whilst there is no statutory right to leave, the business will try to accommodate a request for unpaid leave or holiday in these circumstances. Please fully discuss your situation with your line manager at the earliest opportunity.

Do I accrue holiday whilst I am on paternity leave?

Yes.

Do the terms & conditions of my employment continue whilst I’m on paternity leave?

You’ll continue to receive your contractual benefits whilst you are on paternity leave. When you return to work, you have the right to the same job with the same terms and conditions as you had before your paternity leave began.

My baby was born early and requires neonatal care. Do you offer any additional support?

For each full week that your baby is in neonatal care, we will grant an additional week’s leave and pay, up to a maximum of two weeks. Please advise your line manager or the People Team as soon as possible should these circumstances apply to you. You do not need to meet any service or earnings criteria to be eligible for this leave and pay. Please note that we are unable to ‘interrupt’ paternity eave to grant this additional paid leave. In this instance, this additional paid leave will be administered at the end of your paternity leave.

Can I look for and apply for jobs whilst I’m on paternity leave?

Yes, you can browse current vacancies at our co-op on our careers website, where you can also make an application.

How much pay am I entitled to?

You may receive Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) and Occupational Paternity Pay (OPP) whilst you are on paternity leave, dependent on eligibility.

How do you calculate who is entitled to SPP?

To be eligible for SPP, you must meet the criteria for paternity leave and, in the 8-week period prior to the Qualifying Week (or the date you are matched with a child, in the case of adoption), your average weekly earnings must be at or above the National Insurance Lower Earnings Limit (currently £123 per week). You must be employed by our co-op when the baby is born (or is placed with you, in the case of adoption). If you are eligible, you will receive SPP for the period of paternity leave you elect to take (1 or 2 weeks). The standard rate of SPP is set by the Government. It is currently £172.48 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower). SPP is not payable until the day after the baby is born, so please let us know the birth date.

What is Occupational Paternity Pay (OPP)?

OPP is a discretionary enhancement to SPP for colleagues with 1 year’s continuous service with our co-op at the Qualifying Week (and who have not given notice to leave our employment). We will ‘top up’ SPP in the first week of paternity leave to 90% of your average weekly earnings (if higher than the current rate of SPP). As aforementioned, if you have a baby who requires neonatal care, we will grant up to an additional two weeks leave and OPP. This will also be paid at 90% of your average weekly earnings.

Will you tell me what I will be paid whilst I am on paternity leave?

We will write to you within 28 days of you notifying us of your paternity leave to confirm your period of paternity leave and pay arrangements.

Is paternity pay paid in the same way as my normal wages?

Yes, SPP and OPP is paid through the payroll as normal (4-weekly). Tax and National Insurance deductions will be deducted, as applicable.

What happens to my pension contributions whilst I’m on paternity leave?

If you are a participating member of the Royal London Stakeholder Scheme, employee and employer contributions will continue to be paid into your plan based on your normal basic pay for the duration of your paid period of paternity leave. We will ‘top up’ these contributions to Royal London, as appropriate.        

Can I take holiday instead of SPP?

You cannot receive paternity pay at the same time as being on holiday. If you would prefer to ‘sacrifice’ your entitlement to SPP and take holiday instead, you are able to do this providing you give reasonable notice. Please liaise with your line manager to request this.

Summary of Paternity Pay Arrangements

Note: See earlier reference to parents of babies who require neonatal care. Where eligible, this 1-2 weeks of neonatal leave and pay will be in addition to the arrangements detailed in this table

Can I use my holiday to take extend my period of leave?

You can request to take any accrued holiday after your paternity leave. For example, some colleagues request the 3rd week as holiday, whereas others might use their holiday to work ‘part-time’ for the following couple of weeks. Have a chat with your line manager to see what might be possible.

I might need to ask for some changes at work, like different working hours.  What should I do?

We understand that your circumstances have changed. We’re committed to exploring any changes to your working arrangements you may need to enable you to return to work and to balance your commitments. You may have already started discussing this with your line manager prior to your paternity leave.

You can view our flexible working policy, including details of how to make a request here, Flexible Working. It is important to point out that if you intend to make a flexible working request, we have up to three months to handle your application. Whilst, in the vast majority of cases, we will respond much quicker than this, it’s important to bear this in mind, especially if you’ll need different working arrangements immediately on your return.