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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

When Men advise when paternity leave starts...do they have to stick to those dates?

13 replies

JimmyChoo17 · 03/03/2011 20:04

This is our first baby...

My hubbies work have asked for his exact dates for when he wants for his 2 weeks off..

However how does that work - or what is your experience of it?

Im due July 16th but we obviously dont want him to be off until the big day actually happens which could be earlier or later...are workplaces flexible about this in your experience?

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Alibabaandthe40nappies · 03/03/2011 20:06

They have to be flexible, by law. He can tell them your due date to give them a rough idea, but they cannot force him to take it from that date and no other.

Original poster

JimmyChoo17 · 03/03/2011 20:51

Thanks AliBaba I would hate not to have him with me during the right time!!

His team have been great and have said they are not taking leave in July which would allow for early or late arrival but its the powers that be that have been so specific!

OP posts:

Wattinger · 03/03/2011 20:56

The law states that your husband needs to give 28 days notice of any change to his paternity leave start date. Hovever some companies are a bit more flexible than this. Tell your husband to ask for a copy of his company's paternity leave policy.

Here is some good advice www.direct.gov.uk/en/parents/moneyandworkentitlements/parentalleaveandpay/dg_10029398

paternal · 03/03/2011 21:06

What Wattinger said!

Most companies are flexible but they don't have to be! If it comes early or late they can just say tough. I've only heard of this happening once in my social circle but it depends on job, job role ect. If your OH is a neurological surgeon and he has a surgery planned I can understand the hospital being quite unforgiving or flexible. :)

Crawling · 03/03/2011 21:11

DPs suggested I have a planned cses so she would know exactly when DP would start paternity but they still let him take it when I went into labor

Crawling · 03/03/2011 21:11

Sorry DPS boss

MrsMogwai · 03/03/2011 23:53

My H's policy also states that he needs to give 28 days notice of change to start date of paternity. Unofficially, he just has to tell his boss when he's leaving and he will sign it off as agreed to HR.

cat64 · 04/03/2011 00:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MrsVidic · 04/03/2011 07:56

I presume most employers are flexible. Dp always is which means I'm ending up not seeing him for a few days this week! But it certainly pays to be good to employees as he will need favours when I have dc 2 in the summer!

pipplin · 04/03/2011 10:01

My DP's boss was not flexible so we booked my leave for the latest date the baby could come. Because who's first born ever comes on their due date? Ours did! I had two weeks of being on my own and had stitches that hurt a lot :(
Hoping other employers are more flexible.
DP works in an office nothing others in his team couldn't manage. Silly policy for some IMHO.

eviscerateyourmemory · 04/03/2011 10:03

I think that legally paternity leave cant start until the baby is born, so he couldnt necessarily be bound to dates booked now, depending on when the baby arrives.

Firawla · 04/03/2011 10:36

really? @ legally cant start til baby is born, because with my 1st dh just took it off from the due date, although ds was quite late so he was off with me for over a week before actually born. and then after birth we were in hospital for a while due to complications etc, so he would have had to been back in work before we were even home, so he got it extended taking off annual leave as extra.
but 2nd one he just took off from when i was in labour, i think most work places will try to be flexible

ruddynorah · 04/03/2011 10:47

a lot of very incorrect information given here people! paternity leave CAN NOT start befor ethe baby is born. it sayd that on that directgov link. so when the form says when would you like leave to start, you say 'the day the baby is born.'

sometimes you might want the paternity leave quite a bit later ie if your mum is staying with you for the first weeks or something. then your dh might want to take his 2 weeks later, so a specified date maybe given for this. but it has to be taken by 56 days after the baby's born.

my dh works for the police and they too tried to make him specify a date. if you read the form properly, your answer is 'the day the baby is born.'

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