Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
Dads Set to Benefit from Additional Paternity Leave and Pay
Employment Relations Minister Jim Fitzpatrick today set out new paternity leave proposals being developed by the Government. The proposals are designed to give working parents more choice in their caring responsibilities.
Publishing the latest consultation on the proposals, Mr Fitzpatrick said:
"We know that people want greater flexibility to better juggle their work and family life and that fathers increasingly want to play a bigger part in the upbringing of their children."
"If a mother wants to return to work before her child's first birthday, the father will be able to take some, or all, of the second half of the child's first year as paid paternity leave. For the first time ever, this will give parents the flexibility to divide a period of paid leave between them. Parents will be able to decide how to best balance work and family commitments.
"This consultation seeks views on how the administration of additional paternity leave and pay will work in practice. The Government wants to keep the process as straightforward as possible for both employees and their employers."
The consultation sets out proposals on the administration that will give fathers the opportunity to choose to take up to 26 weeks Additional Paternity Leave to care for their child if certain conditions are met, including the mother returning to work. In particular, the Government will be seeking feedback on the following:
* Whether the father and mother should be able to self-certify themselves as eligible for the scheme. This would keep the process straightforward for businesses.
* How the scheme will work best in practice, and whether
checklists and new official forms would provide employers with the
confidence to administer the scheme effectively and employees to
participate in it.
Notes to editors
1. The Consultation
Document can be found at http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/dti
2. Although the term 'father' is commonly used when describing additional paternity leave and pay, it is the Government's intention to make additional paternity leave and pay also available to partners and civil partners of mothers and members of adopting couples who meet the eligibility criteria.
3. The Government proposes introducing this new provision by the end of this Parliament at the same time as extending maternity pay to 12 months. The earliest date that Additional Paternity Leave and Pay will be implemented will be for babies due in April 2009. However, this is not a firm date for introduction.
4. This scheme brings forward section 3 of the Work and Families Act. The other key measures contained in the Act include:
* extending maternity and adoption pay from six to nine months from April 2007 (now in place), towards the goal of a year's paid leave by the end of the Parliament.
* widening the scope of the existing law to enable those who care for adults to request to work flexibly from April 2007.
* introducing measures to help employers manage the administration of leave and pay and plan ahead with greater certainty from April 2007;
* helping employers and employees benefit from improved communication during maternity leave.
Department of Trade and Industry
Public Enquiries +44 (0)20 7215 5000
Textphone +44 (0)20 7215
6740
(for those with hearing impairment)
