Currently, employed fathers and partners have to choose between taking one week or two weeks’ paternity leave; this will change so that they can take the two-week entitlement in two separate blocks of one week if they want to. Rather than just being able to take statutory paternity leave in the first eight weeks after birth or placement for adoption, it will also be possible for the leave to be taken at any time in the first year.
Currently, an employee has to provide notice of the date on which they want their paternity leave to start 15 weeks before the birth. These notice requirements will be changed and it is proposed that only 28 days’ notice will be needed, although the notice of entitlement will still need to be given 15 weeks before birth.
Watch this space for implementation date.