New Parent Support Leave
New parent support leave
An employee is entitled to take up to 2 weeks of new parent support leave, which does not affect their contractual rights. They must be the spouse or civil partner, partner, or nominated carer of a mother who gives birth to a child. Otherwise, they must be the biological father of the child.
New parent support leave is also available to intended parents on the birth of a child through a surrogacy arrangement.
New parent support leave is also available to employees who are adoptive parents where a child is matched or newly placed with them for adoption. Either adoptive parent may take new parent support leave while the other parent has chosen to take adoption leave.
The employee can take their new parent support leave either as a block of 2 weeks or 2 single weeks.
New parent support leave can start either from the date the child is born or from the date the child is placed for adoption. In the case of overseas adoption, the start date is when the child arrives in the UK. In all cases, the leave may start an agreed number of days afterwards.
The period of new parent support leave must end within 52 weeks of the date the child is:
- born, or the due date if the child is born early
- placed for adoption
- placed or arrives in the UK in the case of overseas adoptions
Employees are entitled to new parent support leave where a child:
- dies
- is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
- is no longer to be placed for adoption
- is returned after being placed
Under these circumstances, employees can continue to take new parent support leave which has already been agreed.
Employees who have not agreed new parent support leave continue to be entitled to new parent support leave. Under these circumstances, the leave period is restricted to 8 weeks from the date the child:
- dies
- is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
- is no longer to be placed for adoption
- is returned after being placed