Employers will be keen to review the forthcoming changes to statutory paternity leave and pay from 6 April 2024. The UK government intends to introduce a package of reforms, to increase flexibility for those who are eligible to take statutory paternity leave (including adopters).
The Statutory Paternity Pay (Amendment) Regulations, SI 2024/121, make the necessary changes for the purposes of statutory paternity pay (SPP). Separate regulations are expected to make equivalent changes for the purposes of statutory paternity leave (although, clearly, the two go hand in hand). The Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024 are available in draft.
Among the changes made by this first set of regulations, the following are key:
under the package of measures, eligible employees will be able to take statutory paternity leave in two, non-consecutive weeks if they choose to do so (the option to take leave in a single block will remain) and these regs make sure that SPP will be available for both options;
SPP will be available where the leave is taken during the first year after the child’s birth (or placement for adoption), extended from the first eight weeks; and
employees will need to give four weeks’ notice before they are due to receive SPP, in most cases (different rules apply for domestic adoption cases).
Employers will be keen to review the forthcoming changes to statutory paternity leave and pay from 6 April 2024. The UK government intends to introduce a package of reforms, to increase flexibility for those who are eligible to take statutory paternity leave (including adopters).
The Statutory Paternity Pay (Amendment) Regulations, SI 2024/121, make the necessary changes for the purposes of statutory paternity pay (SPP). Separate regulations are expected to make equivalent changes for the purposes of statutory paternity leave (although, clearly, the two go hand in hand). The Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024 are available in draft.
Among the changes made by this first set of regulations, the following are key:
under the package of measures, eligible employees will be able to take statutory paternity leave in two, non-consecutive weeks if they choose to do so (the option to take leave in a single block will remain) and these regs make sure that SPP will be available for both options;
SPP will be available where the leave is taken during the first year after the child’s birth (or placement for adoption), extended from the first eight weeks; and
employees will need to give four weeks’ notice before they are due to receive SPP, in most cases (different rules apply for domestic adoption cases).
