To ask how you use unpaid parental leave

[yoghurtontoast]

Recently found out about unpaid parental leave (statutory right to 18 weeks in total per child, until their 18th bday - maximum of 4 weeks to be used in any year).

I understand it’s unpaid but it still seems ideal. If you only used one week in a month you’d get 75% of your normal pay which is better than maternity pay in any event!

I’m just thinking of how best to use it. I currently just have DD but we’d like another child at some point in the next few years. I’m not sure if I should make the most of it in the next few years while she is little, or save most of it for school years - if you use it what do you do?

Lone parent here. I used it for a weeks leave so I can eek out my annual leave for odd days.
Used it when my kids were in reception and all the way through to GCSE season. I know quite a few parents that used it in the primary school years.

Losing a weeks pay was less stressful than using holiday clubs and dealing with meltdowns.

I took three weeks off during the pandemic as homeschooling two children, childcare for a 3 year old and working full time nearly broke me (and I lost less in money than DH).

I take a week off every summer since I’ve changed ti an employer where I get 5 weeks leave (used to get closer to 7 weeks).

I used it when my DC were at primary school and were a little too young (IMHO) to be in holiday clubs for most of the summer holidays. I thought of it like working a 4 day week but taking that time as a chunk of 4 weeks in August. I used to squirrel away the equivalent salary for the unpaid month so it didn’t feel too 😱 to not be paid for a month.

Worked brilliantly for me for the hard years (roughly Reception to about Year 3) and then I just shoved them into numerous holiday clubs from then on!

But I had a flexible job that didn’t “need” me to be at work in August as my clients were often away then/projects paused until Sept. And a very flexible employer who made it easy to use this leave.

I was gobsmacked because although I had 2 DCs, worked full time with different companies, managed a team myself and worked closely with HR, using it wasn't on my radar at all. Literally never heard of anyone using it, yet so many people appeared to use it like an adjunct to annual leave. I reckoned I, my friends, and my colleagues, had all missed out. I sure would have used it if I'd been aware.

I’ve never used any - I really can’t afford to take unpaid time off.

one of my team is taking 2 weeks in September to see her child through the staggered start in reception.

I take one week parental leave every year to top up my annual leave. This year I'm using it to go abroad. Every month I stick a small amount of money aside to cover the week off and then top up my pay on the month I take the unpaid week. I consider it the same as buying annual leave which my company don't allow.

I took 4 weeks for each child to extend my maternity leave, and saved the rest for school holidays. Depending on your salary and where you live, you may find that losing the pay is better than having to pay for holiday clubs.

I've used it for the last couple of years, just 1 week per year for the last two but planning on 2 this year. We have to take it in blocks of at least a week. It just means that we get more time together as a family in the summer holidays rather than just one parent being off at a time.

Just to add, I believe it's employers discretion to make it one week blocks. Mine will let me take a few days at a time if that's all I need.

I don’t use it every year but have done a few times when we were really struggling for childcare over the summer holidays.

ask well in advance as they can ask your to take it at a different time.

if you can get a week that straddles the end of a month/pay period, then it’s even better as it means only 2/3 days unpaid per month rather than a full week in the same month.

I work in a school (TTO, non-teaching) and usually take one week of parental leave per year during term time for a family holiday. DS is now 5 and just finishing Reception year but up until he turned 5 I would tack it on to a school holiday, usually the May half term. Yes it represented a small drop in pay that month but we always saved more than that on the cost of the holiday.
Going forward we are not planning on taking term time holidays but I’ll probably continue to take a week of PL each year. It probably sounds a bit odd but because my annual leave is dictated by school holidays I like having one week that I can just book off when I want to. Also my school term dates and DS’s don’t always align (different schools) so it gives me the option to take time off at the beginning or end of the school year if needed.

There is different leave for emergencies. Parental leave is meant to be booked in advance, and used in blocks of one week at a time. It is there to give parents the legal right to unpaid time off with children, to spend that time however they please. It isn't a bad thing, it's just not very well advertised.

I tagged it on to the end of my maternity as my company let me use the full 18 weeks in one go

OP you may want to ask Mumsnet HQ to update your post with the link

As some seen confused what particular type of leave you are talking about.

https://www.gov.uk/parental-leave

This is the first year I’ve not taken any. Usually I take 2 weeks in the summer. But I’m in the process of buying a house so I need the money. I’ll do it next year again when I’m settled.

I used to use a couple of weeks to extend summer holidays time off when dd was in school. But she still went to camps other weeks when I had to work. It was definitely better to use once she was in school as there was less flexibility for childcare then - nursery was open all year except Christmas and Easter holidays before starting primary school.

and funnily enough, it was most useful in secondary when dd didn’t need childcare anymore but wanted to do shorter day camps (so not full business hours but more intense training camps that lasted 3-4 hours during the day, starting late morning and ending mid-afternoon). And also to have some bonding time.

I use four weeks per year. I have several kids and they’re spaced out, so I will be able to take 4 weeks per year until my youngest is about 15 years old.

Yes, I lose a months pay (normally in two blocks, so paid for half a month twice per year), which is basically the same as working 4.5 days a week instead of 5 days per week, or 0.92 Full Time Equivilent. Those wondering how people afford it must know anyone who works even slightly part time?!

It's 18 weeks per child up to their 18 birthday @yoghurtontoast. If you take a week a month, you'll use it up pretty quickly.

I took my full (3 children) allowance this year, added on max annual leave and went travelling. It’s bliss but now I’m finding it hard to get enthusiastic about going back. Although the prospect of a full pay check is certainly helping improve my enthusiasm!

I use it in the summer for more annual leave.

I used to use it for all planned family holidays of at least a week, leaving the rest of my annual leave for the odd days here and there that need coverage (school trips, concerts, doctor appointments, if the kids were ill).

worked out far better financially than working part time

I haven’t used it yet as I work .8 and get generous annual leave - I can also get 2 weeks extra unpaid leave and spread the cost over the year, which is easier to take.

however I hope to use some just for extra holidays to spend time with the kids. It seems a waste not to use it!

We had big plans of using it to go on a long summer holiday with the DC one year. I didn’t need to but DH did. Unfortunately the holiday became too expensive so we didn’t go. The loss of a week salary for DH was difficult too.

DS is almost 19 now so that batch of leave is gone.

if we’d planned better and saved in advance I think we would have used it for a long holiday.

That’s what I’d encourage other families to do. Save up and take a long holiday with your DC.

I used it one year to cover the summer holidays. It was good but you have to plan for it because it's basically a month with zero pay. Term time contract is much better. Same principle but your pay is prorated so you get paid less each month but get paid every month which is less of a shock to the system.

I’ve never had to use it and I don’t like losing the money by choice, since it would cost me more than childcare. It’s a good thing though, obviously.