Furlough / paternity leave

[Rebelwithallthecause]

My DH is currently furloughed

I’m due to give birth next month and his work have contacted him to submit a request for paternity leave whilst he would have otherwise been on furlough

This is a bit of a hit as the drop in earnings of being furloughed is already tough and dropping further to 2 weeks of paternity pay will be unmanageable

Does anyone in HR know if he has to take paternity or if he can stay on furlough?

They could call him in to work during the 2 weeks of furlough and he cant decline.

Could he take annual leave?

Surely paternity leave doesn't have to be taken immediately after the birth?

Paternity leave doesn't have to be taken straight away after birth. Can he say that he wants to delay it?

I think if he delayed it he would be told to go back to work as birth coincides with their suppliers reopening

Can't he tell them he is waiting until the child is say, 4 months to take it.

Just remember if he is furloughed when you give birth, he could be recalled to work. Then he would probably have to take paternity leave, to stay off, so his wage would drop then, before he gets a full wage.

I think if he delayed it he would be told to go back to work as birth coincides with their suppliers reopening

So, he is expected back to work when you're due? Then he needs to either work or take paternity leave. He can't ask to continue to be furloughed if there's work available for him to do.

@Lonelymum11 I guess that’s the case really and so should just take the paternity and hope they do recall him back to work as soon as possible after

No one ‘has’ to take paternity leave. Plenty of men don’t so surely he can just say he isn’t taking it? I would also wonder if it’s even possible while furloughed. You couldn’t take annual leave I’d imagine because you aren’t currently working, so I don’t see how paternity leave would be different.

Employees should take any statutory leave in the normal way the only way furlough affects this is that the way SPP is calculated will be different if the qualifying period was during furlough & wages were reduced to the 80% only.

So even thought he can return to work you want him to be able to stay at home but not take paternity leave because he would get less than furlough. So be furloughed instead of paternity leave even though he can work.

No I think you’re being a bit ridiculous.

He either is working or on paternity.

Yes, I’m having major abdominal surgery.
We are already struggling to keep heads above water on furlough pay.

For the sake of 2 weeks it’s going to be now a choice of him going back to work immediately after birth or affording to get by

Mindutopia - you can take annual leave whilst furloughed actually but the employer then has to pay you your actual salary for that period rather than furlough pay.

As you have said if he does not take paternity leave they could get arsey and just call him back off furlough anyway. So it will depend whether you/he want him home at that time or not. They are not being employee friendly at all.in this approach but are allowed to do this unfortunately.

Can he take annual leave?

If its a busy time, I take it that they won't authorise annual leave?

The biggest problem with the furlough scheme is people being placed on furlough when they shouldn't be & there is no real reason for them to be other than to save the employer money on a wage bill or by not going on statutory leave & getting the reduced income which goes along with that (usually sick) - I'm sorry but it's not there so that you don't have to get by on SPP for a couple of weeks!

What were your plans for his paternity leave before all this kicked off as I'm assuming you're not a guinea pig who got pregnant as the country went into lockdown so will have had months to plan for this?

Plans were to take paternity leave as normal but because of furlough we can’t afford that now

He’s put a request in for holiday so hopefully that will be ok