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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parental leave has anyone had problems taking it?

40 replies

lessthanBeau · 16/09/2017 09:18

I just found out that unpaid parental leave has changed and now is for any child up to 18, I thought I would take 2 weeks in the summer along with 2 weeks holiday and have 4 weeks off during the school holidays, I ran this past my manager (who didn't even know the entitlement had changed to cover all children) and was told you can apply but you probably won't get it authorised. I only work in a menial minimum wage job, during the summer we usually have the college kids wanting more hours so could be covered. Has anyone had parental leave denied? What grounds? And what's the point of having it if your employer can just say no you can't take it.

OP posts:
EggysMom · 16/09/2017 09:29

ALL leave is always at the employer's discretion. You have an entitlement to a number of days annual leave, for example, but the employer can tell you when to take them if that's the way they work. Whilst you are entitled to ask for parental leave, the employer doesn't have to agree to your proposed dates if it would cause serious disruption to their business.

You do however have the right to know why you cannot take the leave, and to ask when it can be taken instead. Check out this page of the government's guidance: www.gov.uk/parental-leave/delaying-leave

NeedMoreSleepOrSugar · 16/09/2017 09:29

Sounds like they've confused parental leave with a flexible working request. Perhaps show them this Which explains it

EggysMom · 16/09/2017 09:31

You'd need to make a formal request to get the answers though.

Might you be asking a little too early, if you mean next summer? Some employers don't like talking leave that far ahead as there could be too many structural changes/staff changes between now and then.

DragonMamma · 16/09/2017 09:36

You can have parental leave but it doesn't always get to be the dates that you have requested, if you being away for 4 weeks would cause too many problems for your employer.

For parental leave they do have to provide you with alternative dates for the leave to be taken, within 6 months of your original leave request date. E.g if you request 2 weeks in July then they have to tell you when you could have 2 weeks, before the following January.

Original poster
lessthanBeau · 16/09/2017 09:38

I didn't ask if I could take it, just that I was thinking about applying for it for next year.

OP posts:
Gorgosparta · 16/09/2017 09:38

Yes they can refuse it.

Especially if it will leave them short staffed or stop anyone else taking annual leave while you have 4 weeks off over the summer. Which is usually a time that lots of people want time off.

Original poster
lessthanBeau · 16/09/2017 09:42

dragon so even though we need it to cover school holidays they can just say no sorry have 2 weeks in term time instead?

OP posts:
Gorgosparta · 16/09/2017 09:47

Yes they can.

Toast195 · 16/09/2017 10:08

Its hard for employers.
Especialy if your busy over the summer or theres lots of annual leave requests.

Iv been very lucky the last 3 years to have had the summer off ( apart from monday's my choice) i take 4 weeks as holidays 1 week as parent leave and 1 week as flexi leave as child care for my children for the summer is over £500 a week.

But where i work we are most quiet over the summer. And most holiday requests are around xmas and easter.Where im happy to work extra so others can get what they want.

DragonMamma · 16/09/2017 14:50

lessthan Yes, they can.

To honest, we've had to say no to a few requests similar to yours largely because it IS the school holidays and most people want time off over the summer months and it's not practical to allow parental leave which will then prevent others using annual leave.

DragonMamma · 16/09/2017 14:52

I think you need to shift your mindset from 'we need it' to 'it would be nice if we could get it', nobody needs 4 weeks off over summer - it may be nice/easier financially but not essential.

AlphaBites · 16/09/2017 14:58

I asked for a weeks parental leave with more than the required amount of notice period (6 weeks) to be told "No, we don't authorise unpaid leave." Angry

WhiskeySourpuss · 16/09/2017 15:10

At my work 3 out of 5 staff members have kids there's no way one of us could have 4 weeks off over the summer as that would only leave 2 weeks for the other 4 staff members!

My understanding of parental leave is that it is to enable working parents to take time off to cover unforeseen circumstances such as if the children are sick or regular childcare has been cancelled not for parents to essentially take an extra 2 weeks (albeit unpaid) annual holiday.

DragonMamma · 16/09/2017 15:21

Whiskey - that's emergency dependent leave but there's also parental leave which is for exactly what you describe; spending more time with the kids, if they are having an op, settling them in to a new school etc.

But the caveat is that it has to be at a suitable time for the employer.

HainaultViaNewburyPark · 16/09/2017 15:29

Dragon I know they can postpone it (as long as they let you take it within 6 months and provide a written reason for their decision). But can they really propose term time as a suitable alternative? I'm not sure they can because you can only take it to care for your children - which isn't necessary during term time (mine are both at secondary school, so deal with themselves before/after school these days).

HainaultViaNewburyPark · 16/09/2017 15:40

It is usually approved by my employer, but we're discouraged from taking more than 1 week at once.

In fact, the way they calculate the reduction in your salary is to work out what your monthly salary is, divide this by the number of calendar days in the month, and then multiply this amount by the number of days you are out of the office in between the start date and the finish date. If you take a week of leave, you lose 5 days of pay. If you take two weeks, you lose 12 days of pay. It also makes it more expensive to take unpaid leave in short calendar months.

DragonMamma · 16/09/2017 15:45

It's to look after the child's welfare, which doesn't necessarily mean providing 121 care all day long. Some people use it when the child starts school or moves to secondary school so that they can be around for that.

They don't have to offer a suitable alternative, just alternatives. It's subjective as to what is suitable, I suppose. What may be suitable for the employer may not be suitable for the employee and they don't have to offer time off during non term time.

Gorgosparta · 16/09/2017 16:38

But can they really propose term time as a suitable alternative?

Yes they can if it prevents other people taking time off or its a busy time for them.

Nowhere does it state you must be allowed it during school holidays.

Littlebelina · 16/09/2017 17:45

There does need to be a business justification for delaying unpaid parental leave as it a requirement (similar to maternity or paternity leave) and not just a nice to have. This could be that it will leave them short staffed but they can't just say no. In your case OP I would apply and if you aren't happy with the reason given then you can consider whether you want to try appealing it or speaking to ACAS

May50 · 16/09/2017 17:51

I thought they legally had to allow you to take up to 4 weeks per year per child up to age 18. I take it normally a week at each half term, week at Easter and 2 weeks in summer. It helps me cover school holidays.

EggysMom · 16/09/2017 18:39

I thought they legally had to allow you to take up to 4 weeks per year per child up to age 18

Nope, there's no "legal" distribution of the number of weeks, and you only get 18 weeks total up to 18 years old - 4 weeks every year until they are 18 would be 72 weeks total Grin It's the equivalent of a week each year, but you don't have to take it regularly like that.

I'm not sure they can because you can only take it to care for your children - which isn't necessary during term time

Depends on your situation - for example, if your child has to have an operation and then two weeks' home convalescence during term-time, you might take parental leave for that.

DragonMamma · 16/09/2017 22:23

As Eggsy said - YOU can take up to 4 weeks per year but your employer doesn't always have to facilitate your requests if it's at odds with the effective running of the business.

Can you imagine how discriminated against parents would be if working parents were allowed to take up to 4 weeks, per year, unpaid leave, during term time, in addition to any annual leave entitlement?!

It most businesses it would preclude any non-parents from taking leave during peak seasons as no doubt most parents would ask for a week at Easter, 2 weeks in Summer and a week at Christmas.

I do have 2 dc btw so understand what a ball ache it is arranging care but I often think working parents don't help themselves in being taken seriously in workplace.

DragonMamma · 16/09/2017 22:26

May50 - if you have more than a couple of dc then you will run out of parental leave in 9 years completely

PansyGiraffe · 16/09/2017 22:31

It is 18 weeks per child, per parent dragonmamma

MyDcAreMarvel · 16/09/2017 22:35

The only time an employer cannot refuse parental leave at a specific time is directly after the birth of a child. So you can extend paternity/maternity leave.