Paternity confusion - help!

[SeriousStuff]

My husband is due to start a new job in April and just received his contract. There's nothing in there about paternity leave and was wondering what he should do...

From what I could see on HMRC, they still only talk about the 2 week allowance for dads and nothing about being able to share leave with the mother. Also, he won't have have "worked for the employer continuously for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth".

I'm so confused as to what he's entitled to and whether he should mention something now before he signs (but I'm only 11 weeks!)

Thought you were having a Jeremy Kyle moment from the thread title!

Oh! Sorry to disappoint! I see what you mean though...

At the moment paternity leave is still the 2 weeks, think it changes to shared parental leave next year but not certain.
I believe the father also has to have the same employment requirements for spp as women do for SMP, which is the 26 weeks continuous employment by 15 weeks before EDD.
His new employer might have a different policy though, or he could ask about it after he has started, but I prob wouldn't mention it now unless it would change whether he accepted the job or not.

Look on gov.uk. You can google that and paternity leave, it mentions additional paternity leave there.

My husband had this with our first. He will not unless they've changed in 4 years be entitled to paternity. His employer was nice and even paid first week (as always) but he had to take 2nd week unpaid. I might be tempted to ask... tbh

You could get him to call ACAS as think they could help?

How many weeks will you be when he starts? I was due mid aug and dh started a new job in the may, he wasn't entitled to paternity leave, he took holiday instead.

I'll be roughly 15 weeks by the time he starts so looking unlikely...

Thank you all, it's what I'd suspected having searched the gov pages online but it all seemed so confusing!

It's a bit easier (but not much..) if you just think about it as being the same as if it were you starting a new job at your stage of pregnancy. So, unfortunately he won't qualify for the shared parental leave.

Hopefully they'll eventually bring in some sort equivalent of Maternity Allowance to help with this, but it's not a help for you this time round.

Might be worth looking into any restrictions about A/L in terms of being able to use it before accruing it/amount he's allowed to take at one time so you know where you stand.

He has to have worked there for 26 weeks at the point when you have 15 weeks to go to qualify under the law for additional paternity leave. That's the official line though some companies have their own more favourable schemes. If its not in the contract they should still have a policy he can ask to see. He may also be able to negotiate something before he signs but that depends on how much they want him - could be worth a shot.

His eligibility also ties in with yours, so you have to be eligible for full maternity pay & to have taken the first 19 weeks where he can then take over from wk 20 once you have returned to work. He then gets £135 pw or there abouts (which is a you would get at that point anyway).

Have been looking into it too for the last few weeks too, it's all very confusing !

Thought you were having a Jeremy Kyle moment from the thread title!
^^ me too!

Basically unless his employer tells him otherwise he won't be entitled to paternity leave unless he's been there 26 wks.

It's the same rules for mat leave and mat allowance.

But he has to have worked 26 weeks when he reaches the 'qualifying week' which is 15 weeks before so its a total of 41 weeks.

I might find myself in the same position with my DP, its a total bummer. I think the qualifying week should be 15 weeks before HIS leave starts, not before ours does. But that's just my opinion.

Thanks guys. It's just me panicking, thinking about being home alone with a baby after only 2 weeks. I know women do it all the time, I was just hoping for a bit more of a buffer...

You'll be ok and there's still loads he can do to help out after he goes back.

The main thing is for you both to be in agreement that in those early weeks your job is to look after yourself and the baby, so no fretting about other stuff not getting done.

Depending on the length of his day/commute he could (for eg)

• make lunch for you and stick it in the fridge
• stick a load of washing on before he goes out
• make the dinner or bring a take out when he gets home
• immediately take the baby off you when he gets in and let you lock yourself in the bathroom in a hot bubble bath for half an hour (oh the bliss!)

Don't try to do it all yourself, and don't fall into the "oh he works hard and he deserves to come home to a hot meal and a clean house" crap.

His job is to come home and look after his dp & baby - it's not forever, but it makes the first 6 weeks much easier and keeps you both involved.

He could always do the pre booked holidays card, as new jobs have to honour your plans for time off if you tell them before you start the job, could be worth a shot!

Even if he did get paternity leave it would only be 2 weeks anyway. Additional Paternity leave is longer but can only be taken from when the baby is 20 weeks old & if you have returned to work (that's the one I'm hoping for).

On a positive note a girl I work with who recently had a baby said that things got a lot easier after he returned to work. She was terrified but found that she was able to get into a routine that wasn't really happening with the two of them there.

I would get him to ask them to agree to 2 weeks holiday then instead. FWIW my dh did one weeks holiday, then a few short weeks, I think second and third week he did 3 days at work, then 2 4 day weeks. It worked really well actually, so much so we're probably doing the same again this time rather than 2 full weeks off.