Paternity

[KMS8985]

Hi everyone,

I’m new to this so a little confused on what I’ve read online.

I know my child’s father has to give his work notice for paternity leave when I’m around 25 weeks pregnant.

He has already informed them about the pregnancy but nothing in writing yet.

What I’m confused at is how he can give dates for when he wants to take his two weeks entitlement.
I’m due on the 19th August and he wants to take it day baby is born.
I can’t guarantee baby will come on the 19th and if he’s at work and I go into labour can he leave work immediately.

Thanks xxx

He'll need to take the matb1 form to work for the HR department when you get it at around 25 weeks. My dh booked a week starting on the due date. Dd was quite overdue so the paternity leave simply started on the day she was born. His work did get a bit funny about it, but what can you do?!

Thank you. He gave the matb1 form in yesterday and his work said ok let us know what dates. I think I will do what you have done and tell him to book from the 19th August and baby will come when baby comes lol.
Some employers are awful but like you said what can you do. It’s not like they didn’t know.
Did your DH have to fill in a ss3 form to claim ssp xx

Uh - I gave my Mat B form to work yesterday - was I supposed to get a second one for my husband?

@Bibijayne your husband just needs a copy of it. Just ask hr to copy it- we scanned ours in and just emailed it to both mine and his HR depts 😊

Gosh my DH's work just took his word for it! Also they've seen me and how huge I am!

@ClareB83 I guess it depends on how large the organisation is? DH is employed by the county council so the HR people wouldn’t know him from Adam 😊

Yes it's very small company and DH is management, but I hadn't realised matb1 was a thing for the dads. I mean it makes sense but totally hadn't crossed my mind.

Thanks @flyingchimps - he's on a training course for the rest of the week - but I'll get him a copy to take in when he's next in the office :)

His manager and FDO both know we're expecting and he's asked about paternity and SPL.

www.gov.uk/paternity-pay-leave/leave

"You don’t have to give a precise date when you want to take leave (for example 1 February). Instead you can give a general time, such as the day of the birth or 1 week after the birth."

You don't have to give exact dates, you can just say 'when they are born' (or in our case, given risk of prematurity, we've said 'when they come home'). Apart from anything else, leave has to start after the birth, so it's no use giving a date if you then end up overdue.