How is requesting four weeks’ unpaid parental leave after starting a new job viewed?

[Tryingtohelp12]

Hi
I’m currently in a FTC that finishes in May so on the look out for something new.

I’ve seen something I’d like to apply for but the issue is the summer holidays would start about 8 weeks after starting. I would need to request 4 weeks unpaid parental leave, as I have 3 children and my wage would not cover the cost of the childcare, plus due to my eldest sen needs he can’t go to a general summer club as it’s too overwhelming and can only go to family or my childminder (she’s known him since before he was 1), and last year she decided to cut down her working hours and only work 2 weeks in the holidays so she is unavailable for a big chunk of summer.

from 6 April requesting parental leave becomes a day 1 right but I just wanted opinions on how it will really be recieved?

I think it’s specifically the 4 weeks in the summer holidays with short notice elements of the request that would be perceived negatively, and most likely to be rejected. It’s possible you’ll still be training so a 4 week gap could lead to delays there, plus the obvious that Summer holidays are most likely fully booked leave wise as it is.

Nothing to say you can’t ask though, you may work somewhere with few parents or that can be highly flexible.

I agree with pp, try to delay a new job until September if you can.

What will you do in future years for the Summer holidays?

The children’s father needs to request the 4 weeks and then you can request the next school holidays when you’ve had chance to suss out your new workplace and what’s likely to be approved.

It depends on how it impacts on colleagues as well. Having taken someone on, they presumably didn’t expect to have to find cover for you for that long and that soon.

You would have to discuss it at interview, I think it depends how strong you are as a candidate, if they really want you, they will accommodate. If it’s going to be an ongoing thing then it’s better to be upfront and everyone knows where they stand, saves stress going forwards.

I can’t think of anyone who has taken regular (annual) parental leave in my company, its annual leave and childcare unless in a medical emergency.

Thank you yes it is a public sector role, I thought that might mean they are more open than an SME where there are more unique roles whereas this roles there is a whole team of workers. Thank you - you seem to be the only one who thinks it could be an option

Don’t mention it in your application OP, that’s just an invitation to discriminate sadly.

Absolutely fine. It’s 2026. Women and me has children and we’re not magic and can look after them and work. Request it .

Why is paying for childcare solely your responsibility?

doesn’t your partner contribute?

childcare should come from household income.

your partner will also have the right to request unpaid parental leave- why does he not do that so you can properly get established?

I think you can of course request it but legally they can refuse it for a valid business reason ie too many other staff members off already at that time and they can suggest you take a different 4 weeks instead so in a nutshell you're not guaranteed it so maybe have a plan b in case they say no.

Then they are going to be fairly pissy when she drops it in casually when she starts

Could your husband take the hit for at least some of it so you aren't asking for so much at once? If he could be flexible, could you stagger your request to take a week at the beginning and one at the end?

Maybe you could approach your new employer with a 4 week block as 'one of the options' with a few more flexible ideas as well to show willing and demonstrate that you are trying to come up with alternative solutions that don't have such an impact.

Or they’ll just say no and give an alternative time she can take the leave. Better than not getting the job to begin with because you’ve been discriminated against.

Personally I think employers are more likely to discriminate or have unconscious bias at the anonymous application stage rather than directly to an employee.

Many people need to give 3 months notice so would asking to start at the beginning of September work?

I’d like to add too that my eldest Sen needs mean he has a full time TA with him at school, i have approached some holiday clubs to trial and see how he would cope and they have been unable to accommodate his needs. So it’s genuinely not an option. Thank you to the last few posters who have given me hope.

my sister works with someone very senior who takes 3 weeks each year (in one block) because in her words ‘she can afford to and wants to enjoy her children.’ My sister has also opted to take 4 weeks unpaid parental leave this summer, so there are definitely people and organisations which are comfortable with it.

I think I could be flexible with the weeks, the childminder hasn’t said which weeks she is working yet (as long as not clashing with her own holiday), and will be flexible around me as I will book 3 places!

I would wait and see if they offer you the job and then I’d mention it at that point.
In my area of public sector it would not be frowned upon.

If it’s a deal breaker you probably need to know before starting. In many areas of public sector where you’re providing a service there are minimum staffing requirements . They are probably sorting the numbers for summer at present. If you wait until you start you run the risk they say sorry theres already too many off for you to have 4 weeks but you can have June or September instead, which is obviously no use to you.

Yes would be open to this although it is only a mid level role so not sure if that would be expected although it may go down better than requesting the unpaid leave!

I think this needs to be discussed a little earlier in the process - some people have a 3 month notice period on their current employment and lots of people start jobs with preexisting commitments that are discussed at the time of agreeing a start date. You could quite reasonably say that you can start on X date but have preexisting commitments between 25th July and 5th September that you cannot rearrange so will need unpaid leave to be agreed then before you could accept the job.

However, there are 13 weeks of school holidays in a year and getting the summer holidays agreed this year is a tiny fraction of the school holidatlys ahead of you that you will need to manage. If you can't balance things without unpaid leave for the 6 school breaks per year then you can only apply for term-time-only jobs. If an employer needs a full time employee for a role then it's not a "reasonable adjustment" to only be available for 39 weeks a year.

Wow. So interesting to read the different responses. Big business and public sector live (and work) on a different planet!

You have the right to request it. Not to take it. It would be impossible in our business at that time of year.

Not true. They can delay but not decline.

The no time off together is very often a thing for working parents. We used to split the year between us. I would think asking for 2 weeks would be reasonable (if there’s still enough people not off for the same reasons!).

Yes, I'm sure people do use it but not within the first months of employment in a one month block. Generally it's worth building up goodwill and working with your employer.

Why can't your husband take some parental leave over summer?

This really. If it’s for general school holiday cover I’d be worried that you’d expect it every year, and at other times too, rather than it just being a one off which might be easier to manage.

Surely if your childminder can do 2 weeks, then you request 2 weeks annual leave and your DP books 2 weeks AL?

Or your DP requests 4 weeks parental leave?

Or you suck it up and pay for childcare, knowing that over the year you're better off working than not.

Honestly, where I work (Public Sector) 4 weeks in the summer holidays would always be refused, because it's the peak holiday period, and not practical to let someone take 4 weeks off at that time. We'd be postponing it until September for operational (staff cover) reasons, which we're entitled to do.

It's not so much that it 'looks bad', it's simply that it couldn't and wouldn't be granted.

My husband cannot take it, he is the main earner in our household earning 3x my salary so it would not be an option for him to be unpaid to allow me to work.

I’m intending to take 4 weeks unpaid parental leave in the summer. Spending more time with your children is a valid reason given as an example on the government website!

https://www.gov.uk/parental-leave