Parental leave/Buying holiday

[pippylongstockings]

Hi
Just looking for some support/guidance/experiences from others.

I have been back at work 2 months after returning from 10 months Mat Leave. My company has now introduced a scheme where we can 'buy' upto 5 additional days holiday (ie they take it out of our pay) I am keen on the idea, as a working mum my holiday is dictated by my child minders holiday at present. However, I also want to take advantage of parental leave but I don't want to look like I am taking the p**s.

If I take 2 weeks parental leave and 'buy' another week I will have 8 weeks leave. I am just conscious that it looks bad taking so much time off. Esp. when I returned on a p.time basis from a managers job - my company were good enough to make a new role for me.

Any one else any idea's on how to make it look fluffy?

I thought paternal leave is only in unusual positions and shouldnt be used as 2 extra weeks unpaid leave. please correct me if im wrong??

My husband company let him buy an extra weeks holiday, its handy.

sorry parental

Parental leave is an entitlement that everyone with children under 5 has to take extra unpaid leave.

It is emergency dependants leave you are thinking about Lisa which is also unpaid.

Pippy - re parental leave, do bear in mind that they don't have to give you the dates you want if it conflicts with business requirements, so relying on parental leave to track your childminder's holiday could be risky unless your employer specifically agrees that you can use it in this way. Under normal rules, they can postpone parental leave if it falls in a busy period or whatever.

I know they might not agree my parental leave exactley when I want it - I was going to use my holiay to cover my childminders holiday and then use my extra weeks holiday and my parental leave to have time off when it was better for us as a family. Even though I have kids I don't really want to have the childrens holidays off to do things as it is always so busy - I want to escape it while I still can!

I feel guilty though at using the entilement - I don't know why?
I guess because I work in banking & it's so sales focused that your frowned apon for not wanting to be a 'winner' - so certainly taking 8 weeks off gives out a certain message that my family are more important.
To me happy employee = better work ?