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Original poster

Has anyone ever taken 'Parental Leave'?

28 replies

katierocket · 06/10/2005 09:30

DH has no holiday left this year. I have a vital meeting to go to in a couple of weeks and there is no one else to collect DS from nursery at lunchtime and look after him. Is DH entitled to take it as parental leave? Has anyone done this? Is it unpaid? The company he works for is not very family friendly so they definitely won't have encountered this before.

OP posts:
Anchovy · 06/10/2005 09:38

My DH took some parental leave last year. He had to plan it quite a long time in advance and there was a surprisingly amount of formality involved - think he had to take the birth certificate in for example and there were definitely various odd restrictions. From memory, he had to take it in blocks of not less than a week or more than a certain number of weeks - I can find out if you want. I'm pretty sure the formality relates to the parental leave itself, not his actual firm, who seem to be reasonably well organised re HR matters (he had about 3 days paid paternity leave with no need for evidence and everyone was very relaxed re time off after the birth). The planning in advance was probably due to the need to have cover in his area - he has a relatively narrow area of specialisation (apparently!), but I do remember us being surprised at how formal the parental leave arrangements were.

Let me know if you want more info as I'm sure he will remember what he had to do.

foxinsocks · 06/10/2005 09:39

I did it a few times (but this was a few years ago). My employers normally let me have it as paid leave (if it was only a few hours) - I just worked a bit late on other days to make it up. If dd was ill and I knew I would be off for a few days, I took it as unpaid parental leave.

He is entitled to get unpaid parental leave so I guess all he has to do is ask.

Fangache · 06/10/2005 09:39

KR - In that situation I'd be inclined to just phone is sick that day!!

lucykate · 06/10/2005 09:40

yes, i've used it alot when i was working full time, dh is self employed so basically if he wasn't working, he didn't earn so if dd was ill etc, no family available to help, it was down to me. you get 13 wks, unpaid leave, i think until child is 5? (not 100% sure). its the law so not down to individual employers. all i used to do was fill in an absence sheet marking it down as parental leave as reason for absence, just to cover me and so i didn't go down as being absent without leave. it was a godsend for us, dd was at nursery picking up all kinds of illnesses and i didn't get alot of holiday. i've also used it when the nursery was closed and i had to stay at home for the day too

Original poster
katierocket · 06/10/2005 09:41

Thanks. Hmmm, he won't want to take a week off just a day so I guess that might be a problem. Anchovy, it would be very useful to hear what the precise requirements were.

OP posts:
Fangache · 06/10/2005 09:42

....everyone gets sick sometimes...right?

Original poster
katierocket · 06/10/2005 09:42

Fangache, you know that's exactly what he would do except that he intends to do this at the end fo the month for a cycle ride he's undertaking that goes over a weekend and into a monday....priorities, priorities..

OP posts:
Fangache · 06/10/2005 09:43

KR - Sometimes people get sick twice in the same month..... don't they?

Original poster
katierocket · 06/10/2005 09:45

fangache

I just wish to god his company were more accommodating and didn't make everything such a big deal. The problem is that the directors don't have children so have no concept of these type of problems.

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Fangache · 06/10/2005 09:47

KR - I used to work for a company like that. If I had to take time off coz one of the kids was ill I always found that graphic details of the childs symptoms (colour/texture of diarrhea, vomit etc) worked best to stop them whinging about the fact I wouldn't in that day.

ladymuck · 06/10/2005 09:49

Parental leave can be taken for up to 13 weeks in the period until the child turns 5. Other than parental leave at the actual birth, the leave must be taken in blocks of a week, with no more than 4 weeks taken each year. The company can refuse the leave for a number of reasons (eg you couldn't take it during a busy season at work). Basically it is no use to you in your current circs. And it is unpaid!

There are also legal provisions allowing you unpaid leave to cover emegencies affecting your dependents (eg your child is ill and unable to go to nursery). Again this strictly wouldn't apply to your circs - sorry.

He may just have to approach his employer with a request, but there is no legal entitlement for them to grant it.

CountessDracula · 06/10/2005 09:49

I took a week when dd started nursery when she was 2.5 - she had odd hours that week. I had to apply formally but it was no issue taking it.

CountessDracula · 06/10/2005 09:50

Could you ask the nursery to have him all day?

Original poster
katierocket · 06/10/2005 09:53

I can't ask the nursery to have him because it's a nursery school (attached to primary school) so it's strictly mornings only.

Ladymuck - are you saying he wouldn't be entitled because of the fact that he only needs a day (rather than a week)?

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Original poster
katierocket · 06/10/2005 10:19

.
any other thoughts appreciated.

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eefs · 06/10/2005 11:51

Force Majore leave?

Fennel · 06/10/2005 11:57

You don't have to take the whole week but one day taken off will count as a week's worth of leave used up. so if you had wanted to take 4 weeks in a year (I think that's the maximum you can take per year per child) you would only have 3 weeks entitlement left. this wouldn't matter if you/dh doesn't want to take the rest.

my DP takes it, sometimes he takes a couple of days, unpaid, and it counts as a week's entitlement. as we have 3 eligible children though he could take up to 12 weeks a year so that's not a problem of "wasting" days/weeks eligibility for us.

hope that makes sense. DP's company is also not famly friendly, he's the only one who takes it but he does it quite often.

acnebride · 06/10/2005 12:28

bloomin eck had no idea about the must take a week at a time thing. Sounds like people are very clear about this, but are you absolutely sure? DH took one day per week for 3 months on his boss's advice, as an alternative to going part time. Worked v well. Blimey! Looks like we've used all ours up! It was certainly unpaid.

Fennel · 06/10/2005 12:32

acnebride, that might have been at the employer's discretion. The national regulations are quite clear about week blocks, or parts of week counting as week blocks. but your dh's employer might have decided to be more flexible.

Gobbledispook · 06/10/2005 12:50

I'd ask him to throw a sickie - is that too norty?

Gobbledispook · 06/10/2005 12:51

Ok, just read other messages. How about if you are sick, so dh has to be at home to look after ds since you can't?

cardy · 06/10/2005 13:20

Is there a friend or reletive close by who could help. How long will you need childcare for?

In these one-off situations I usually ask a friend/another mum for a favour and then you could offet to reciprocate another time. Just a thoyught....

mandrake · 06/10/2005 13:22

No. get your DH to push for parental leave or emergency leave. unless men start pushing for a bit more understanding of their parenting responsibilities from employers (and let's face it a pretty small and even unpaid thing) things aren't going to change. rock the boat a bit...

Gobbledispook · 06/10/2005 13:26

mandrake - but it's unpaid isn't it so it might be worth looking for another option maybe?

freakyzebra · 06/10/2005 13:27

DH took parental leave but there were lots of rules & regs around it. Had to give at least one month's notice for each week of leave (or was it 3 months notice?). Had to be a week at a time, that kind of thing.