Husbands employer asking for my matb1 form

[fairgame84]

Is this normal?
He just wants his 2 weeks paternity leave, I thought the matb1 was just for my employer, I've never heard of it being needed for paternity leave.

They are not entitled to ask for it.

www.gov.uk/paternity-pay-leave/how-to-claim

My husband's employer asked for it too. They didn't need the original and were happy with a photo/photocopy of it.

I thought they weren't entitled. They are honestly the shittest company. He has to take annual leave when he's off sick because they don't do sickness absence.

I'll begrudgingly do a photocopy but they aren't having the original.

They can ask him to give a written declaration but the MATB1 belongs to you and you alone and only your employer has the right to request it, not his.

It's normal I believe. I'm a sahm and needed a matb1 for my husband to show his work.

My DH needed mine to book shared paternity leave. Just a scan / photocopy though, not the original.

It's not normal, it's actually unlawful but a lot of people do show it for an easy life.

If someone chooses not to show it, and their paternity leave/pay is refused they can take their employer to an industrial tribunal. Shitty employers bank on the fact that its too much hassle for most new parents to walk all over their legal rights.

I thought it was the sc4 form they need

Yeah DH needed it for his work too, insisted on original

I found the SC3 form but apparently thats not acceptable.

SC4 form is optional for the employer but we use it as its easier to get them to fill it in than to get the to do a bespoke written declaration.

It depends how far you want to take it. I'm a bit belligerant and work in payroll so I would probably refuse and let them try to refuse and take them to the cleaners but you might prefer just to show it for an easy life.

It sounds reasonable enough to me (a photocopy anyway). Surely an employer is entitled to some proof of the pregnancy when a father to be requests two weeks off? A week off sick requires a doctor's certificate, so paternity leave surely requires some documentation?

My Dh said they needed it and he worked for a good company- they weren’t there to screw anyone over.
if they do require an original, you can get a copy from your midwife. However I suggest you do as I did and printout out the nhs/Nice process for providing a copy so you have it to hand over when the midwife says computer says no, we don’t reissue those, if you’ve lost it you’ve lost it.

Legally, no, they are not. The government website specifically states

"Claim Paternity Leave and Pay through your employer. You do not need to give proof of the pregnancy or birth."

My guess is that because maternity certificates are Special Category Data (health information) then only the woman's employer is entitled to ask for it, not the mans.

Surely that's why they have an sc3/sc4 form.
There is nothing on the matb1 that relates to my husband so other than us being married where is the proof that he's entitled to paternity leave?

And technically a week of sick does not require any documentation you can self-certify for the first 7 days.

The documentation needed for Paternity Leave and Pay is a declaration for the father which is most easily provided in an SC3 form.

My dh employer asked if I had submitted mine. We were told my boss to take photocopies as my employer has a history of losing them. We offered his employer a photocopy of it, they didn’t require it but I know my friends husband had to take a photocopy in.

You don't have to give it to them but I can't possibly see the harm in them asking, nor you providing a photocopy. I'm not sure why some people make it into a huge issue.

My partners work asked for it and I just emailed him a copy of it and didn’t think anything more of it. I did find it strange that it’s in my name, doesn’t mention my partner, so realistically it could belong to anyone, but if it helps him get his paternity leave they can have a copy!

"I found the SC3 form but apparently thats not acceptable."

Should be!
Did they say that in writing?

No they don't do things in writing 🙄

My husband has always had to sumbit a copy of my MATb1 to his workplace. I've always just made a photocopy and he's taken that. Why the drama over it?

Maybe because they aren't entitled to ask for it!

They don't do sickness absence? Your husband's employer sounds very dodgy, even more so now they're insisting on something they have no right to ask for.