Amendments to statutory paternity leave laid before Parliament

The draft Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024 will introduce the following changes:

• Fathers and partners can take their leave and pay as two non-consecutive blocks of one week, rather than only in one block of either one or two weeks.
• Fathers and partners can take their leave and pay at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child, rather than only within the first eight weeks after adoption or birth.
• An employee will be required to give 28 days' notice prior to each period of leave. However, for domestic adoption cases, the notice period for leave will remain within seven days of the adopter having received notice of having been matched with a child.
• Father or partner will be allowed to vary any dates/notice given if they give 28 days' notice of the variation, enabling them to change planned dates at a later stage to best suit the needs of their families.

The regulations are due to come into force on 8 March 2024. The amendments in the regulations will take effect in relation to children whose expected week of childbirth is after 6 April 2024 and children whose expected date of placement for adoption, or expected date of entry into Great Britain for adoption, is on or after 6 April 2024.

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