someone please explain paternity leave to me?!?!

[sillyily]

Hi All,
Dc2 is due 19th April and DP's employer has told him his paternity leave is to start on that date for either one or two weeks. At first they said it was £128 a week, then they said it was full pay first week, no pay second... which worls out the same obviously, but makes a difference as to whether he has one or two weeks...
Also, surely the leave should start from the day I go into labour as opposed to a set date?? If I go over by 2 weeks, then he'll have to go back to work when the baby is born... ? Has his employer got this wrong? He works for a small company, and I believe he is the first person they have dealt with that has had a child...
TIA :)

I think if it's a small company he can negotiate with them re dates. Obviously he needs to keep them informed as to your due date and if there are any complications for you to have baby earlier or later etc.

Does he work shifts? Or something that relies on other people's work patterns? If so he'll need to be more flexible re when he goes off. In theory yes he needs to take the leave as booked but if it's a small company they may be happy to have him around for longer and then have him go off when you finally are in labour. Eg my dh worked in a small practice and he told them when we were due. I was late. His leave was counted from the day baby was born.

As for pay I think there's stat paternity leave? I don't know.

It sounds like they have things a bit confused at DPs work on a couple of points. Have a look on the DirectGov site www.direct.gov.uk/en/parents/moneyandworkentitlements/parentalleaveandpay/dg_10029398 which explains it a bit more.

Thanks :) He's a chef, so they would need to find cover for his shifts, which I guess would mean they'd need to find out exactly when he's off :( Seems a bit silly to me the way it works... I've got a cs booked for 41 weeks, so at least I know that I'll have him for at least a week I guess.

I think it's £102 a week or 90% of your pay - whichever is less.

This is helpful and there's a paternity tool to help you work it out at this link too.

He's entitled to 2 weeks as long as he's been working there long enough.

www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018750

Ah whoops x-posts

great, thanks for the link.. i googled it but not much came up x

He can choose when to take it - so he could ask for it to start when your CS is scheduled for. However he should have notified his employer of his intention to take leave & when he wanted it by the time you were 25 weeks pg so I guess if he didn't might need to be a bit more flexible with them.

The form states that PL cannot be taken before the baby is actually born so he won't be sitting with you both willing baby out for a week first!

The minimum he can have is two weeks, at the SPP rate in the link. His employer can choose to allow him more time off, or more pay, but they can't make him take less time or pay him nothing.